Happy New Year?

So, am back after a very busy festive period. I have made resolutions, broken some of them and have enjoyed listening to people telling me about theirs.
I have to commit more to this blog but I confess, I have only just recently discovered Twitter. I refrained from using it for so long that now, well now, I am totally addicted....however, I am not sure I want to give out my user name just yet.
Some of the posts are very very cool, I am following Mickey Rourke, Dita Von Teese, Mad Men...what does that tell you about me? LOL

Will be back...

Mr Don Draper

Haven't really processed the fact that the magnificent Don Draper is "engaged". What was he thinking? I think my heart may well be beyond repair....actually, to be brutally honest, I will never  recover LOL.

Don being engaged will excacerbate the situation he is in, does he want an equal, a wife, a life!?

Another amazing series for Mad Men, it was like watching Phoenix rising from the ashes....to begin with! Don has been on a journey that I can only describe as a horrific rollercoaster, however, no matter how bad it gets, he just gets!

He dated beautiful women, although one of them resembled the freaky puppet from the SAW movies, he won and lost accounts, shamed a few people, hell, even had intimate conversations about finding himself. At the end, the very end of his most incredible journey - he became a man, a man in love!

It felt strangely wonderful that Betty was finally revealed as the person she really is, shallow, unloved, critical, unsupported!

Peggy shone so bright that she finally was recognised..and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rogers' one liners. The character is a genius.When told Don is engaged to Megan, Roger replies "Who?"

Mad Men has taken over my life somewhat, I don't think that is a bad thing, all is left to say is that I confess that I love Don....yes, even more than David H!!!

A late discovery....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0s7ycdUcHk

My bestest friend in the whole wide world!

Simply had the best day last Friday with my most wonderful friend AHEJ! Met at Waterloo, walked over the bridge and into Convent Garden for a cup of tea. Where did that hour and half go?

Later, we just had to visit a pub on Knightrider Street (for those who know us will understand, for those who don't, well, you never will!) After much trepidation we went in to the pub, the name shamefully escapes me...we are met with a PACKED pub, food being served, people waiting for take outs, the bar is very busy..surprisingly so! We were drawn to the wall adorned with the deliciously insane and the guilty pleasure of the 1980's/90's, David Hasslehoff.  AHEJ and I stared in awe.

After a light lunch and some (LOL) glasses of Chenin Blanc we ventured out to House of Fraser (HOF) I know, isn't it so very perfect....so very perfect! Some shopping around - BIBA had the most amazing dresses and purchases from the perfume and make up counters, all paid for by my most wonderful dear friend AHEJ.. I love her!

http://www.mybiba.com/

Later on to Gordons Wine Bar, THE place for a romantic/clandestine/intimate evening, (not that AHEJ are that way inclined yet), place was FULL so we ended up at the Royal Festival Hall where we heard that Bunny Wailer was playing.

Such a great day and night, loved it and would definitely recommend the venues we visited.

Sideways - my favourite quote

"I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline. "

I just love this movie, I love the main character, his flawed genius, his love affair with wine, his idiosyncrasies. Am determined to follow the Californian wine trail in the movie, just need to decide who I would want to share it with me..........maybe I already have!

I love my hair

In 1968 the stage musical Hair opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre, where it played 1,998 performances until its closure was forced by the roof collapsing in July 1973.

Let it fly in the breeze
And get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas in my hair
A home for fleas
A hive for bees
A nest for birds
There ain't no words
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder
Of my hair ...

A lost love...

Mimmo is a dear friend and a wonderful chef. He tells a beautiful story of a lost love and the recipe that inspired him. He shared this with me and I realised that I simply must share it with you

Here is my story/ recipe.

Tired of the fast and furious life of being a restauranteur in the West End. I took myself  off to Tuscany for a detoxing holiday in a agriturismo. Agriturismo are farm houses converted in to beautiful apartments usually in the middle of nowhere.

I had been in the pretty hamlet of Gavignano for a week and I was bored.

On the Saturday of the first week a new guest arrived at the apartments late in the evening and when she needed help with her luggage I offered to help. She was beautiful. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see her again and being a chef I invited Pavla for Sunday lunch.

In the morning I drove to Poggibonsi, the nearest town, to buy my ingredients. Being a Sunday in Italy every shop was closed. Exasperated, I returned to my apartment.  I had no option but to cook with the ingredients I could find in the garden; some courgettes that were ripe and flowering, the most delicious sun ripened vine tomatoes and wild basil.

It was all I needed.

I cooked egg tagliatelle (I am Italian and always have pasta in the cupboard) with the courgette flowers, buffalo ricotta (which I had in my fridge), vine tomatoes and basil.

It was divine. Romantic. Memorable.

Pavla now lives and works in New York. We are still friends and often reminisce about this improvised and beautiful lunch.

Here is my recipe

In a skillet heat 3 table spoons extra virgin add the courgettes and fry for 3 minutes until they are golden coloured.

Add garlic and fry for two minutes making sure that it does not burn.

Add the tomatoes roughly chopped and cook for 5 minutes season to taste and sprinkle with basil.

Set aside.

Cook the tagliatelle until al dente.

Drain and then add the pasta to the sauce heat through and add half of the ricotta.

Stir the ricotta into the pasta and sauce while your pan is off the heat.

Serve in large pasta bowls with a quenelle of the remaining ricotta on top of the pasta and drizzle with extra vigin olive oil.

Buon Appetito