I ♥ ballerinas

I do. Oh, I do, do, do. And I'm not so sure that Black Swan has anything to do with it.
Ballerinas have been the chic flat shoe of choice for stylish ladies for decades and for me, since I was about 7. Whether polished leather, patent or suede, plain, embossed or with trim, with or without bow, I have always had more than a few pairs in my wardrobe at any one point in time. If I could live in them I would. In fact, I more or less do, unless it's below 10 degrees or raining when I have to succumb to (flat) boots.

My friends always joke about how predictable (or should that be boring) I am when it comes to footwear. I can't help it. As far as I'm concerned they go with anything and everything, but the most important thing for me is the fact that they are FLAT and COMFORTABLE. I'm not one to suffer in the name of fashion, it probably has something to do with the fact that I cannot actually walk in heels, though I wish I could. Don't get me wrong, I love heels, they can be sooooo beautiful and make your legs look fab, I've just never found a pair that I could walk in for longer than an hour or so without looking like I'm stepping over hot coals.

I really admire women who not only spend the day in heels, but also commute in them. I observe in awe at them running up and down escalators in them, handbag and latte in hand, standing in them for half hour journeys in the tube. I have a friend, Grace, who has always been rather glamorous. I will never forget the morning I watched her sprint down the stairs to catch a train at Bromley South station. She was wearing 4 inch stilettos at the time. In fact, she doesn't wear anything much less than 4 inch heels unless she's running (as in the sport, not for trains)

My "Dynasty" Shoes - hands off Grace!

I find that my ballerinas, alas, don't last very long, not much more than a year or so, as when I find a pair I like, I literally wear them to death. I recently purchased a pair from Pretty Ballerinas and have been staring at them dreamily, awaiting for the weather to warm up a bit so I can christen them. They are GORGEOUS: in a black, Chanel-y tweed with a bit of sparkle running through it and a nice chunky bow. I'm in Love.

Where art thou, Juliets?

In Tunbridge Wells actually.
Searching for some respite from the rain we came across what we thought was a coffee shop, but, in fact is one of the loveliest delis/cafes/eateries I've been to in a long time: the understated facade hides a warm, homely interior with exposed brick walls, Farrow & Ball-ish painted wood and eclectic artwork. All the tables, chairs, plates and even the cutlery are vintage and mismatched, which only adds to its charm. The amazing looking Victoria Sponge was responsible for tempting us in, but, once in the door, we discovered a long, open work surface displaying a huge selection of home-made cakes, pastries, salads and soups, which make up the daily menu offering.

Juliets offers a simple concept whereby you select either the soup (today was Roast Spicy Squash) or the main course of the day (either a Pork, Chorizo and Bell Pepper Stew or a vegetarian Celeriac, Apple and Thyme bake) plus 2 salads for £7.50. There are 4 salad choices including Carrot, Sesame Seed and Cranberries to Rocket, Sweet Pea and Stilton, which were all, needless to say, delicious.

Juliets philosophy is "to serve great food, seasonal and, where possible local and always, always fresh". And you can tell: the place was packed when we arrived and there was a constant queue at the door, from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Service comes with a smile, particularly from Juliet herself, the proud owner. The only snag is you spend the entire time thinking about which cake you're going to just HAVE to have for afters......unable to decide we tried both the Carrot Cake (which was moist, spicy and creamy, all at the same time) and, of course, the Victoria Sponge, which turned out to be an amazingly thick, buttery sponge filled with fresh blackcurrant compote and whipped double cream. This, along with a very good latte and a Tea Pigs Chai rounded off our meal and prepared us to face the rest of the rainy afternoon.

Alas, now I only wish there was a Juliets round the corner from my office in London......

Juliets, 54 High St, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XF
Tel: 01892 522931  http://www.julietstunbridgewells.co.uk/



The A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Victoria Sponge



Juliets stocks the entire range of Tea Pigs teas



Fresh scones, nestled amongst the vintage plates, cutlery and other crockery 



The Carrot Cake - rather lush

 

The "small" portions



What do you spread on yours?

"Eet eez ze peeg fat, yah?"

I'll never forget the first time my Austrian friend Korinna introduced me to "Verhackert", a very traditional spread from her home region of Styria. The best description I can give you is "Spreadable Bacon": smooth lard and crunchy, crispy bacon bits, melted and whipped together into a salty, savoury and very moorish treat. Spread over warm toast with a light dusting of fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper is how I like it, it makes for a wonderful hangover snack. In Germany I particularly liked "Apfelschmalz", which is also made with lard, but with crispy onions and apples instead of bacon.

The Austrians definitely have a penchant for Pork. I thought the Spanish were into it but these guys are on a whole other level. Apparently, 60% of all meat consumed in the country is Pork.
In the 4 days I was there I consumed every conceivable form of pork based cold cut imaginable, there was a slow roast side of pork which had been marinaded in spices for a week beforehand, served with potatoes roast in, yes, you guessed it, pork fat and Verhackert and other lard based spreads were consumed at breakfast like Marmite is over here.

I love all things pork. I grew up on an island in Spain where pigs were slaughtered on the street to make, among other things, "Sobrassada": a vivid orange coloured spread spiked with paprika, which I remember eating in thick wedges in a bread roll after school. I won't go into too much detail about it's contents, suffice to say it is veeeery tasty. The mother of a friend of mine (Jill, who happens to be Welsh actually) dots it over home made dough, which she then bakes as a starter. The result is a crispy flat bread with mouthfuls of melted sobrassada on top, the reddish fat running out of it.....

It's also rather delicious on toast, grilled, then served warm with a drizzle of honey over it.....one of my schoolfriend's mother used to make "Macarrones con Sobrassada"......aaaah, I could go on and on.


So, talking of spreading fat on toast, I can't go without mentioning Rillettes D'Oie, there's something truly decadent about them....roughly spread on a good crispy baguette you bite into it thinking it's just like another coarse pate, but no, oh no, the way that silky smooth salty goose fat melts is just........... yum

Wakey, Wakey!

I admit it: I HATE getting up....I've struggled with it since childhood...our au pairs tried everything to tempt me out of bed in the morning....I still don't get these kids who are up at the crack of dawn on a saturday....I only know of one who has, what I would call, "proper" lie-ins: her name is Giulia, she is 4 and can easily sleep in until 11am....my dream child basically.
I digress - anything that makes getting to sleep at night and waking up in the morning easier for me is heaven sent as far as I'm concerned, so, needless to say, replacing my alarm clock was no mean feat.

I recently took to listening to the sounds of water on my ipod at night (to block out my neighbour's penchant for Tiny Tempah); I was going to purchase one of those "new agey" cds but found some great 10 minute downloads on itunes: waves lapping up against the sand, rain falling on windows, streams trickling through the forest..... These proved great, but going to sleep with my earphone digging into me was not, so an alarm clock with ipod dock seemed like the only solution.

Thanks to my friend Emma I converted to DAB radio a few years ago and I love waking up to a bit of chat rather than a buzz, but the DAB/alarm clock/ipod dock offering was not, in my opinion, great: bulky, not very attractive and a zillion buttons, not to mention pricey (£80 for an alarm clock????)

So, as per usual, there was a list of requirements:
- ipod dock and radio
- alarm clock that could be set to either alarm, radio or ipod
- a digital clock (I don't do ticking) that didn't light up like the Blackpool illuminations
- it had to be small and simple to use

After much research I found it, made by Gear4 and available online from various retailers, the cheapest being John Lewis (yes, cheaper than Amazon) @ £35 including delivery.

It's everything I ever wanted and the best thing? the digital clock is DIMMABLE, yes, DIMMABLE, so, even on the lowest setting it's light enough that you can read the time and low enough that you (or should I say I) don't have to stick a post-it note over it!

Gear4 Alarm Dock Reveal
You can see how neat it is by the size of the ipod!

I love coffee but have to be frugal

When I lived in Spain it was tea.....now I'm in London it's coffee.....it's the luxury of sipping yourself awake with your beverage of choice, just the way you like it, whilst on the way to work.

Although I've been doing it for years, it's becoming more and more the norm on the London tube, along with kindles, ipads and waterproof footwear. The credit crunch has definitely influenced this as well as the rise in VAT and we have suddenly realised that our customary morning latte adds up to, on average, £45 a month. Whilst I realise that we don't all have an espresso machine at home, a french coffee press or filter machine will serve just as well.

Needless to say, I like my latte just so: a double espresso, preferably made with spanish mezcla coffee (carried over in my/someone's suitcase at every available opportunity) and steamed UHT milk ("uugggghhhh" I hear those Brits saying, but I was brought up on it and that delicious cafe con leche you get in bars in Spain is made with it) I invested in a Cuisinart espresso machine that allows for use with ground coffee of choice as well as steaming the milk and it's now so become part of my morning routine that even the cat doesn't flinch when the steamer starts hissing.

Transporting my beverage has always been the challenge:
- it has to be big enough to hold at least 300mls
- it must not be too bulky (eg preferably no handle)
- it must not leak, I want to be able to throw it in my Kate Spade handbag without fear of it ruining the lining

It took some time but I found it, in New York of course, specifically at Sur la Table. I was there with my friend Amy who also purchased one though I don't know if she still uses hers...mine is still going strong after 3 years: its the Oxo Good Grips travel mug and yes, it really is leak-proof, believe me, I have tested it. It doesn't have a flip lid, instead, a button you press which releases the lid from the inside via a spring action. Very nifty. It's made of polycarbonate so is durable yet light. www.surlatable.com

In preparation of the dreadful day when it no longer springs open for me I have begun hunting for it's replacement (this Oxo one is only available in the US), and have found the heir to the throne from Bodum. I LOVE Bodum products, they are well designed, useful and durable, and their new collection of brightly coloured gadgets is very now. They have a fabulous travel mug with a leak-proof (*allegedly) lid available online or from John Lewis. *I will test at a later date

Alternatively, I can vouch for Starbucks travel mugs, which, as an added bonus, give you 25p off your drink if you use it in-store.

On the subject of being frugal, many of us are also taking our lunch into work; having spent years struggling to fit a tupperware box in my handbag I came across this lunch bag from Bodum in John Lewis: it's made of neoprene, has a zip top and inside pocket, is machine washable and folds flat so can be easily stowed away in your tote when you've finished! www.bodum.com

And if you're  a real eco-warrior then ditch the tin foil and ziploc bags for Lunchskins: cotton food bags with a velcro fastening that you can throw in the dishwasher! They come in 2 sizes and an array of bright patterns - how brill? www.lunchskins.com

Yummy Cleansers

I've read/been told on numerous occasions that cleansing is the single most important thing you can do for your skin, apart from moisturising.  Forget toners, serums, scrubs..... a good cleanser should:
- remove all makeup, INCLUDING mascara
- not sting your eyes
- leave your skin soft

Those with skin prone to oiliness will be shuddering at the thought of coating their cheeks in creamy cleanser, let alone oil, but, believe me, a good cleanser, when removed properly, will leave your skin feeling just as clean as a soap (or one of those "soap free" cleansers which, btw, are a load of rubbish as they are still full of soap), BUT without stripping the skin (which is what starts the vicious circle of making your skin overproduce sebum to make up for what you've just stripped away)

Having bought then ebayed many, many products over the years, I have narrowed it down to 5; well, these 5 as of today....I'm still out there hunting so more may be added.... Before I reveal my (current) list, please note that very influential factors for me are:

a) price: I feel that between £7 and £20 is more than enough to be spending on a cleanser, with my budget varying depending on how convinced I am about the product and how flush I'm feeling.

b) the ingredients; I won't over detail here, but yes, I am fussy about what I put on my face and that includes NO mineral oils, silicones or parabens. Eve Lom and Shu Uemura? don't be fooled, they are both full of them; if this works for you, great, but you might as well use baby oil and spend your money on something else.

NB: when it comes to cleansing there is only one way: rub the cleanser gently between (dry) palms and apply to dry skin in circular motions including the eye area (get in there with the old mascara). Remove with a hot muslin cloth, you should rinse and wipe twice. The best muslin cloths are Liz Earle, though superdrug's own come a close second.

Evolve: this is the cheapest of the lot, retails at between £10 and £12 for 100ml. The first time you use it it is WEIRD: doesn't really smell of anything, but has the look and texture of hair gel; yes, hair gel. Once you apply it starts to become a little more runny and oily, it then becomes milky on contact with water. Is based on coconut oil.

Green People: If you prefer a creamy cleanser then this is one of my favourites, I find cleansers or cleansing milks too runny, this is nice and thick, removes mascara well and does not sting at all. Has a faint smell of geranium but there is an unscented version. Is based on aloe vera and palm oil. RRP £15 for 200ml, the best value!

REN Moisture Protect Cleanser: Like Green People this is nice and thick, smells a bit floral but isn't overpowering. Made with coconut oil, sesame oil and shea butter. RRP £18 for 150ml

Pai: This is the most expensive of the lot at £25 for 100ml, but it is veeery nice. Contains camelia and sweet almond oils. I would use this between April and October and Aesop's from October to March (if I could afford it)

Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Oil: My ultimate cleanser, true luxury in a bottle and smells DIVINE.  A cleansing oil blended of avocado, sweet almond and macadamia oils that leaves your face like a baby's bum. RRP £34 for 200ml

The Yum

As I try to fill the gap of the last three and a half years, a reminder of some of the morsels that have passed my lips....the good, the bad for you and the yum

my home made focaccia with fresh rosemary, garlic and chilli

asparagus with poached duck egg and hollandaise sauce @ The Criterion

linguini with crispy lardons, garlic, mozzarella and baby spinach

vegetable yaki-soba @ Rue St Anne, Paris

continental brunch in Paris

what can I say? I could eat it every day

my favourite supper.....

paella - in - Valencia, you can't beat it

croquetas de bacalao con ajoaceite

my christmas pavlova: fresh passion fruit and pomegranate

The Phoenix rises from the ashes (well, more or less)

I had completely forgotten about this blog....in my defense, my last post was April 2007..... and A LOT has happened since then...enough to put this to the back of my mind: friends have had babies, friends have gotten divorced (and married again), some interesting (and some less) men have come, and in some cases (fortunately) gone, from my life, I acquired a bushy tailed, 4 legged friend, I've gained a few kilos, I've grown my hair, I've been to Marrakech, New York and Vienna, begun appreciating truffle oil and dates (not in the same mouthful), the last Harry Potter was published, Vampires are back, 10 year olds can be quite cute and talented at the same time, and, oh yes, I was made redundant. I guess that was the worst event and the one that took over my life for a year.....however, it's been almost 12 months that I'm in gainful employment once more, so what better way to celebrate?