Courgette Spaghetti & Thai Curry Prawns Save the Night

Last night was one of those nights.  You know the kind, where you open up a fully stocked fridge and fail to find anything that remotely appeals or inspires for dinner, eventually declaring in defeat that there is "nothing to eat" in the house.

Without my husband around this week to coax me out of my food funk, I was left to my own devices which normally means the story would end with me schlepping down the street to pick up my favorite local sushi takeaway.

However, one can never underestimate the power of a good gimicky kitchen product to raise curiosity levels enough to inspire action.  In the midst of throwing my hands up in full dramatic despair, my eyes caught sight of a square little box wedged neatly between the raclette maker we drug home from Switzerland, the crepe maker I insisted we adopt in the French Alps last winter and a crock pot that I declared "crucial" to replicating my mom's amazing Thanksgiving stuffing recipe.

Yes, it's fair to say I like my gadgets.  But THIS box had been forgotten about since my poor mom was charged with dragging it over from the US during her annual summer London visit.  It contained the magical spiral slicer gadget that I randomly saw on a You Tube video promising to make me courgette spaghetti so authentic that I would never long for pasta noodles again.  Seriously?  Never miss pasta? I obviously had to have this little gem of kitchen wizardry!

And the verdict?  I'm not sure this little toy will keep ALL my pasta cravings at bay (sometimes there's nothing in the world that can beat a perfectly cooked gnocchi dish) but in terms of your basic angel hair, I'll happily replace it with the courgette version every time.  

My Dinner With Hugh Grant

Ok, perhaps I was not actually dining with Hugh Grant.  I suppose if we are splitting hairs, I should more accurately describe it as dining beside Hugh Grant.  It's hard to recall really, as I was all rather light headed and swooning...

But it would be factual to say that In the very dark and very tiny members' bar above Notting Hill's Electric Cinema, on Saturday night I found myself not only scoring one of the rare and highly coveted tables in the joint, but in fact the prime seat right next to Mr. 'Notting Hill' himself.

And oh my, Mr. Grant...er, Hugh.  May I call you Hugh?  Lovely.  Well Hugh, if I may say so, on the basis of my assessment tonight, you have definitely still got it.  

The above conversation took place only in my head of course.  I said I was swooning, not certifiable!

Nonetheless, this was all quite out of character for me, to say nothing of embarrassing, given that I spent the whole of my 20's in Los Angeles babysitting representing actors as a profession. Ironically, the charming Mr. Grant was even a client at my very first PR firm and an occasional figure roaming down our narrow hallways back in the day, although it didn't occur to me to interrupt him and remind him of this fun fact while he worked his way through a plate of tagliatelle.

In any case, Hugh and his posh accent aside, the Electric Cinema with its Brasserie and members' club has always been a great location to enjoy a top notch cocktail and do some people watching on a Saturday evening, not to mention a fabulous brunch spot to nurse your pounding head the following morning.

A local's tip:  One of the house specialties at the Electric is the Rosemary & Co., an ultra-smooth and refreshing gin martini infused with gorgeous rosemary and grapes.  If you love rosemary half as much as I do and like your martinis fresh and kickin' then this is definitely one to try.

And if you won't happen to be passing by the neighborhood anytime soon but want to drink like a Londoner (ok, well like the hipsters at the Electric, anyway) than try your hand at this recipe from Epicurious.  The pear adds a gorgeous touch and makes the sipping even easier.  You won't regret it.

To Market, To Market

It's Saturday and that means it's market day here in London!  True, Saturday is not the only day you can take a wander through some of the city's best markets, but it is the day that a few of my little favorites are alive and kicking--namely the fine foods market in Chelsea's Duke of York Square.   

When I first moved to London, I lived on the Kings Road just a short walk down the street from this fabulous square.  Saturday mornings soon developed into a ritual consisting of a leisurely stroll through the busy market stalls in hot pursuit of a steaming latte and fresh baked croissant.  It might not be a weekend in Paris, but this market has enough European flavor to tide my taste buds over in the meantime.

This market has one other major perk.  Unlike most other London markets, this one is dedicated purely to gastronomic pleasures, and some rather up-market ones at that.  While you can still catch a glimpse of the traditional farmer's market fruit and vegetable vendor, this is a rarity at Duke of York Square. Instead, among the vast selections of artisan cheeses, fresh baked baguettes and white truffle honey, you will also find a Spanish charcuterie specialist slowly slicing a mouth watering leg of jamon iberico with the methodic precision of a surgeon. (I would always dedicate about 20 minutes to just staring at the guy work as I'm transfixed by this skill this takes, though I'm pretty sure he just thought I had some sad schoolgirl crush on him.)  If seafood is more your thing, you shouldn't pass up the local fish monger proudly displaying his 2lb. lobsters and fish so fresh it could be certified sushi grade.  This IS chelsea after all, would one expect anything less?

And let's not foget my personal favorite.  Who can resist a French crêperie dishing up deliciously sweet crêpes and savory galettes exactly as you would find strolling along the Seine in Paris.  Inevitably I can never decide which kind I want, so have now gotten pretty successful at convincing David that we need one of each, with Dex eagerly trotting close behind to get in on any of the leftovers. 

I'm happy to report that this weekend's market visit was a success and we ended up bagging some awesome seafood and an insanely fresh goat's cheese with lavender and lemon.  Seriously, lemon verbena and gorgeous English lavender!  SO delicious I'm just disappointed I never thought of it.  

Rumors are circulating that London is set for a record-breaking revival of summer temperatures any day now so I'm already scouring my favorite cooking magazines for the perfect recipe to celebrate.  If summer is coming back to London, my kitchen will be ready! 

A Girl, A Dog & the World's Best Canine Carrot Cake

Ok, it's probably just best to get the confessions out of the way right off the bat.

Yes, that IS a homemade doggie birthday cake. And those are fresh baked doggie treats on the plate in the background. And that gift bag IS for Dex and contains his birthday presents (which we bought from Harrods, because we are sick and also seem to have forgotten there is a global recession on.)  And we also might have had a little party for him.  With balloons.  And bubbles.  And cake.  Lots and lots of cake.   

But now I ask you, honestly, do you see anything other than 100% shamelessly unabashed puppy delight here? I only wish I loved my own birthdays half as much. 

My dog loving friends back in the States will surely understand my despair over not having access to the fabulous arsenal of doggie confectionary that is Three Dog Bakery for this special occasion.  I don't mean to say that London doesn't have it's share of doggie specialities for the occasionally over enthusiastic parent (who me??) but well, it's kinda just not the same. 

This conclusion ultimately forced me to take matters into my own hands and hunt down the world's best doggie-safe cake recipe.  In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that the trial run produced a cake that was a little...well, anemic.  True, It was a birthday cake, but really more of a sad kind of soul who preferred to sit among the shadows in the corner rather than be the brash candle-waving life of the party.  

This obviously wouldn't do.  

In the end I went for the Frankenstein approach, which essentially consisted of my blending the best and/or most appetizing doggie safe foods with a number of recipes I adore from the book I talked about here and....voila!  I present to you the world's best tasting, doggie-safe carrot cake (*a subjective claim of course, but Dex has said he'll totally back me on this.)

Escape to the English Countryside

Maybe it's a result of growing up in the US watching one too many Jane Austin films (hey, I read the books too!) but for me, one of the amazing things about living in London is the opportunity to actually leave the city and escape to the soothing charm  and greener pastures of the English countryside.  

And if you're seriously lucky, you just might end up somewhere that takes your breath away like this historic country manor, Fawsley Hall.  Don't get me wrong,  I adore London, but sometimes you just gotta get away and this place takes the concept of "away" to a whole 'nother level.

To say the last few weeks have been something of an emotional roller coaster would be a bit of an understatement.  Lord knows life has a way of being unpredictable at the best of times, but as someone capable of uprooting their life and moving across an ocean,  I like to think I can roll with the punches.  

But sometimes life punches a little too hard, as it did when it delivered this news and you find yourself just needing a timeout.  

After a month-long climb up the veterinary mountain of doggie surgeries, oncologist referrals and lots of needles, tests and nail biting, we finally reached the summit and I'm beyond thrilled and grateful to say that the view from here finally looks pretty great.  This past week we got the very good news that our beloved furry muppet's post-op test results have come back with the oh-so-crucial clean margins and follow up tests have now verified a clean bill of health. This scary chapter has come to a tiring, but very satisfying end. Dexter = 1, Cancer = 0.

In celebration, and frankly just out of our desperate need to unwind, we cleared our diaries for a few days and headed out to this stunning old 12th century property for a few days of rest and playtime in the countryside.  

It's hard to do justice to the incredible romantic charm and tranquility of these old English manors.  For an American, it truly is like stepping backwards in time and directly into a Jane Austin novel.  When visiting these kinds of places, I often wonder if my American roots give me away as the only one half-holding their breath in case Mr. Darcy should come strolling down the grand old staircase at any moment.  Surely Englishwomen secretly entertain these same thoughts, right?  I'm going to choose to believe they do.

In any case, there is nothing like a few days away of pure, unapologetic relaxation to recharge the batteries and make you feel whole again, and I can honestly say I don't think I've ever dedicated myself to a persuit so fully.  We ate. We drank champagne. We took long leisurely breakfasts in bed (which were largely responsible for my new obsession with boiled eggs and soldiers that I'm now dying to recreate for our next house guests!)  We even found time to sip afternoon tea in the Great Hall, a ritual that I remain firmly convinced is a well-acknowledged rouse to justify indulging in WAY too many scones and pastries at one sitting. (Seriously, they don't stop feeding you!)   

It's safe to say that by the end I was thanking my stars for those long country walks, and maybe even the random half-mile sprint after Dex decided he was a sheep dog and had some herding to get back to.  For the record, we are pleading the 5th on that one... 

In the end I've come back rested, recharged and ready to take on life again--and by extension my blogging, baking and writing projects.  Life is short, time to make it count.  See you soon!

Vintage Cutlery & a Pie to Die For

I  have this huge thing for vintage cutlery.  Full disclosure here...I don't technically collect it and I rarely even use it.  Yet I can spend hours browsing through beautiful images of tarnished old forks or delicately etched spoons laid out in an elegant table setting or casually strewn about an old country table.  (Honestly, what did we do before Pinterest and Etsy??)  I really don't know why, but vintage silverware just makes me nostalgic and happy.  And maybe just a tiny bit obsessed...

Am I the only one thinks that the addition of a beautiful old silver fork resting next to a gorgeous slice of cake just makes the offering SO much more mouth-watering??   It makes me immediately inspired to throw a fabulous garden tea party complete with wonderfully eclectic mismatched old teacups and to start turning our flat into a rustic old country cottage.  

For tonight, I'm going to funnel my energies into making this mixed berry & lemon verbena pie, from the fabulous Helen Dujardin of Tartelette.  Let's face it, culinary skills aside, when your results are showcased with such gorgeous vintage accents as these it almost doesn't matter what it tastes like.  Almost... Fortunately, her recipes deliver flavors that always leave me wanting more.

via Tartelette