Goodness, is it THAT long since I wrote in my blog?! That’s disgraceful. So, what has happened since I was here last? Well, I’ve been to Spain on holiday for 2 weeks, that was very nice, with plenty of €2 Rioja in the nearest shop! We stayed in a rented town house in Almuñecar, on the Costa Tropical. It was gorgeous, but built on 4 floors (not counting the roof terrace). The kitchen was on the first floor and the dining terrace, where we ate all our meals, on the 4th, AND THERE WAS NO TEA TRAY!
While we were there we visited Granada to see the Alhambra, which I’d wanted to see since I was about 12. It was really magnificent. And Granada was lovely, but it was TOO HOT. The whole fortnight was too hot, really, they were having a heatwave in the area.
We also got to see the fireworks to celebrate Assumption Day, on the evening before we came home, which was incredible!
What else?
I started my new job in August, and at the moment it's very similar to my old job except much busier. The real work starts on November 3rd when we start the training programme. Then we'll have 6 weeks of craziness, and then we can relax.
I went to Womad back in July with Mia, camping would you b'lieve?! Bought my own tent and everything!
Here it is!
We saw some interesting bands and some even more interesting sites. These were real fairies, of course. Even fairies drink coffee!
My faves were Babylon Circus, a French Gypsy Punk band, who not only played a really lively set wearing Horse-trader black suits and pork-pie hats in the scorching heat, but did a cookery demonstration as well! Marvellous.
Today's recipe, which I'm baking as I write, is Orange and Olive Oil cake (should have been Orange, Olive Oil and Pine nut, but I forgot to buy any pine nuts, so it's not).
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g (9oz) caster sugar
50g (1¾ oz) light brown sugar
200ml (7 floz) olive oil - probably best not to use cold-pressed organic extra virgin. I think the cheaper, lighter sort is best really, otherwise your cake might not be too nice!
400g (14oz) plain flour (I used gluten-free but the recipe is ornery flour)
1 heaped tsp baking powder
Finely grated rind of one orange
250ml (9floz) freshly squeezed orange juice (or not freshly squeezed, can't see it makes much odds)
40g of pine nuts, or none.
Preheat the oven to 180° (350°/Gas 4).
Brush 2 22cm (8½") baking tins (round ones I suppose, it doesn't say) with olive oil and dust with flour. Actually, as I haven't got 2 22cm tins I used 1 bigger silicone one (oiled) and then made 6 buns as well.
Whip the egg whites till they're stiff.
Beat the yolks with the vanilla till it's pale and foamy.
Add the sugar, whisk that (I used my electric whisky machine thing for all of this recipe), then add the oil a bit at a time and whisk it in.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix well.
Add the OJ and whisk it all up nicely.
Gently fold in the egg whites (nearly forgot to put that bit in there!).
Pour the mix into your tin/tins/bun cases whatever (it'd make a heck of a lot of very nice buns, this recipe!) and bake for 35 minutes. That's for the 2 22cm cakes. My buns (oo-er!) took 15 minutes and my large cake took about 50 minutes.
I think I'm going to make some sort of orangey icing for it in a bit, cos I've got some home made butter I want to use up (oh yeah, I made butter the other day, did I say?).
Found this photo in the Sunday Times magazine and thought I'd share it. It's by top fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier and is simply a double page spread entitled 'The New Sexy' (Mr F-P said "since when was it new for this to be sexy?!"). The text next to the photo says: 'Patrick...... has started photographing bigger women. These meltingly beautiful portraits of earthily glamorous girls are fast becoming the new pin ups. Move over, skinnies: times are changing and now more really is more. Here's to the renaissance of flesh and a little bit more to hold on to'. I was disappointed that there was only one photo - I eagerly turned the page hoping for more! I've searched the net and can't find anymore of this collection of protraits, so perhaps they're not published yet. However, Demarchelier has quite famously said that skinny models are ugly naked! Go Patrick. Isn't she just heartbreakingly beautiful? Contrast her with this model..... nuff said!
