Day 25 - Junk Food

Monday, Monday. The start of a new week.  Gerry had the day off today which is always good news.  I worked out, fixed breakfast and then settled down to yet more interview prep.  We also took a little trip down to the local Poundland.  It really can be a little gem for the odd thing that you need and they do some very reasonable food staples such as sauces and baking goods.  We also succumbed to McDonalds on the way home.  'No!' I hear you cry but Gerry had been looking forward to it since we set off and who was I to deny her? I opted for the simple cheeseburger and it does still astound me that a simple bun, thin pattie, cheese slice and relish weighs in at a whopping 295 calories.  Thank the lord that I resisted the chips at 330 calories.  It was nice at the time but it really didn't fill me up at all, so a mini salad was prepared when I came home, which was delicious.

To make the most of the day, we decided to try out a new pub where we live. Well, new to me at least because I've never ventured through the doors in the last five years that I've lived here. The pub is called The Railway and to be honest this will probably be our first and last visit.  While it was clean and we were served promptly (it was pretty empty though), I wouldn't say it was a welcoming pub and it has about the same more charm as any other chain-style drinking establishment.  Needless to say we drank our drinks and left.  We ventured further up the road to a friendlier pub The Lion. I know some might say it's not really a pub more a less glorified bar but it's just a little more cosy with an open fire and the wine is very reasonable.  We also opted for one of their food platters to share.  I've not eaten anything else at this pub and I was very much looking forward to their House Starter Board.  It was, however, a little disappointing. It boasted 'handmade hoisin and duck spring rolls, salt and pepper quid and Mexican corn fingers', all with their respective dips.  The reality wasn't really anything special, although it was nicely presented.  The spring rolls were a good size but the duck was overpowered by the hoisin sauce it seemed to have been soaked in.  The squid rings were tiny and battered to oblivion and had I not been told I might not have known what they were.  The Mexican corn fingers were better because at least you could spot a kernel or two of sweetcorn amongst the ingredients.  All in all not something I would pick again, which was a shame as I do like the sound of the rest of the platters.  However, would it be a case of the old Chinese proverb -  'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me...?'

We left a little underwhelmed and with my interview tomorrow it was not the day to be tearing up the town with further drinking.  For dinner I'd done a switch from the originally planned and delicately spiced Chicken Korma to something quite trashy.  Perhaps it's the NHL games that Gerry is watching at the moment or the upcoming Superbowl on Sunday and the fact that I'd read all about these new snacks to try for the day over at Closet Cooking.  Whatever it was I had a massive craving for hot dogs.  Yes, that's right small frankfurter sausages wrapped indelicately in finger rolls smothered with onions, relish and sauce.

To start I preheated the oven to around 150C, planning to pop in 4 rolls to warm through for the last 10mins of cooking.  Meanwhile, I sliced an onion and simmered them in a small pan of boiling water for around 15mins.  This made them nice and soft and after draining I caramelized them in a pan with oil, butter, brown sugar and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.  I cooked over a low heat for another 10mins or wo until they took on some colour.  Finally I heated 4 frankfurter sausages through in a saucepan.  This was not to be culinary masterpiece otherwise I would have used a much better calibre of sausage.  All that was left to do was assemble everything.  I split the rolls, lay the dogs down, spooned over the onions and added mustard and relish.  Bloody awesome! If I'd be hungrier I totally would have made some fries to go with it and I'm very much looking forward to trying this method by Oggi at I can do that!

Hot Dogs

Day 24 - Super Fit Sunday

Today I have been overly energetic and weirdly not as hungry as I supposed I should be.  I skipped breakfast to fit in my Wii Active session before I was due to head up to the gym with my little sis.  It would be our first session!  Well this was the plan, it was all going fine up until my little sis had car troubles which set us back an hour or so.  However, she got here in the end and we walked to the gym.  We only joined today so it was impressive that we were able to go immediately - big up to The Gym Group. We did a good little workout of 45mins cardio on the running machine, cross trainer and rowing machine and 30mins on the various weight and toning machines before laughing at our attempt to do sit-ups with a medicine ball.  It works the stomach I can tell you!  It was a good session to ease ourselves into the whole process and one of many to come I hope!  It's very good to spend a little time with family and I love the fact that A lives so close at the moment.

Gym over I headed home as the stomach was getting fairly famished since it was now around 3pm.  I stopped for a sushi hit from the supermarket.  I know it's not good sushi in any respect but a little guilty pleasure of mine that I indulge in from time to time. Especially if it is adorned by a little yellow sticker...

Anyway, real food was needed but sweet potatoes were done and dusted so I had a little left over veggie moussaka and small baked potato with salad. It hit the spot but not the sweet tooth so I followed it with a scoop of Carte D'Or ice cream and Leibniz chocolate biscuit.  This little concoction comes in at only 100 calories so it's great for my frequent after-dinner sweet craving.

I then settled in to watching 20 episodes of a show I'm interviewing for on Tuesday.  I made copious notes and a little excel spreadsheet and at 8pm I was very thankful to be finished.  A little more brushing up and collating everything tomorrow and I should be fully prepared.  However, because of all this work I've not thought about dinner.  Actually that's a bit of a fib I have thought about it but at the moment a Pea Risotto with Bacon isn't exciting me.  Not sure what to do. Gerry is back from work in around 30mins and may well have eaten already so it seems it might just be a bacon sandwich or something.  Not the satisfying food I normally have on a Sunday I know and I do feel slightly disappointed by the lack of something to look forward to...

Gerry arrived home, not fed, so I threw some noodles, veg and chicken in a pan for a 'street-food' style Thai stir fry, my version of Kway Teow Mae.  I threw in some sliced red bird's eye chilli, chicken,  few prawns, crushed garlic, some beansprouts, flat noodles and some soy sauce.  I fried this all up in a wok with a little groundnut oil, garnished it with a lime and Bob's your uncle all done. Quick, easy and delicious.

Thai Noodles

Day 23 - Slow Start Saturday

I did indeed have a slow start today which may have resulted from my late night Wii action, in order to get my Day 17 workout in before the clock struck midnight.  This in turn meant I skipped breakfast and went straight to lunch and another sweet potato and salad special. It does seem to fill me up and is light on the whole calorie front.  I then spent the rest of the afternoon doing interview prep for Tuesday, although I suspect the bulk will be done tomorrow afternoon as I'm better under pressure.  I also looked through my fellow food bloggers postings and other recipe sites  to gain inspiration on what to cook that evening. Gerry was returning later after working a high profile talent show and would probably be quite hungry as it would have been a busy day.

I settled on a Vegetable Moussaka.  It was a tight call between that and scallops, which I absolutely adore but they were far away in the supermarket and the veggie ingredients were right near me in the fridge.  Plus Gerry is a fan and I thought it would be healthy option. I searched through quite a few recipes from various sites and they all had elements I wanted to incorporate so I went off piste to create my own. It was a bit of an experiment as to how it would turn out as although I've made moussaka many times this was my first all veggie alternative.

I used the following ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 1 small aubergine, sliced into 1cm rounds, salted and weighted down for 30mins before rinsing
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 courgette, sliced into 1cm rounds
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 small tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 50g dried Puy lentils
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 2 pinches ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• Spray Olive Oil
• 200ml water

For the White Sauce:

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 150ml skimmed milk
• 1 tsp butter
• 25g grated cheddar cheese
• 1 pinch nutmeg

For the Aubergine Slices:

• I preheated the grill to 180C. I put the aubergine slices on a grill pan and sprayed with olive oil. These went under the grill until both sides were nicely browned and tender. I find this way healthier than frying as they absorb far less oil but it is slightly more time-consuming.

For the Tomato & Lentil Filling:

• Meanwhile, I softened the onion and garlic in the olive oil before adding the courgettes and pepper for 2-3mins until cooked. I then added the lentils, chopped tomatoes, herbs, spices, tomato puree and water.  I brought the whole thing to the boil before covering and simmering for around 30 mins or so until the lentils were cooked. Add more water if the mixture becomes too dry. Finally I added seasoning to taste.  The filling is now done.

For the white cheesy sauce:

• I melted the butter in a small pan before adding flour, cooking for 1 min, stirring continuously and making a paste.  I then removed the pan from the heat. Next, I slowly added some of the milk but only as much as the paste could absorb, to make a slightly smoother paste. I repeated this step with a little more milk for a creamy consistency before gradually stirring in the remaining milk and returning the the heat. I brought this to the boil and stirred constantly until the sauce thickened. I then added the grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.

Time for layering up the entire thing. I intended on using individual dishes but I wasn't sure if it would all fit so went for one large dish in the end. I spooned half the tomato lentil mixture into the bottom of an ovenproof dish and laid half the aubergine slices on top.  I then repeated the process until all the mixture and aubergines were in the dish. I poured the cheese sauce over the top and popped it into the oven for around 25mins, then under the grill for 5mins to make sure the cheese was nice and crispy.

I took it out of the oven to rest for around 10mins because I know trying to eat something like this when it is boiling hot is near on impossible and burnt taste buds will ruin a meal for me. Leaving it to a eatable temperature will let the flavours mingle a little more and make for a much more enjoyable experience.  Served with a babyleaf salad.

The Finished Article

Day 22 - New Things

I had a new(ish) experience today, something I've not experienced in quite a while. I had an interview and if I'm honest I'm not too sure how well it went. I'm normally pretty critical of myself in these instances, not helped by the fact my interviewer didn't elude to whether she liked me or not.  I do want the job, it sounds like a challenge and would keep me occupied until at least April if not a little longer.  I've not had an interview for such a long time because in my industry jobs seem to come along by word of mouth and then you are in for a quick chat and the job is yours.  This was a much more serious affair, albeit with a lovely lady. She asked me my strengths and weaknesses, where did I see myself in 3 years time - in TV this could seriously be anywhere!  Hindsight of course is a wonderful thing and you can always look back and wish you'd done something differently but in the moment it just didn't occur. Still I gave my best shot, regretted a few things but overall I got across, I think, what I was about. Will have to wait and see.  If I don't get it I guess it's fate.

**Stop the press, I've just got a phone call for a second Interview.  Need to come up with a casting strategy for the show.  Well that's my weekend planned out then, watching everything I can about the show and making notes! Watch this space to congratulate or commiserate!**

Anyway, after I left the interview I headed to do a little retail therapy, despite the fact I am not gainfully employed.  Why do I always feel like shopping when I shouldn't? I only went to two shops, which should have diminished the possibilities of me spending anything but this was not the case.  However, since I purchased several new lovely items, I deemed it a success but I think certain things might need to go back if my bank balance is to survive until February.

I then headed for coffee with my good friend V.  She is an adorable young lady and we always, to quote her, 'talk the hind legs off a donkey' when we are together.  She was managing to squeeze me in before she went to work, so I was a very luckily girl.  We went to a new coffee/juice bar I'd not been to before, Joe & The Juice.  The young staff are pretty energetic and the place had a good vibe.  I don't think it's the place to linger, especially since many of the available seats are stools.  These days I need a back with my chair! However, we were lucky enough, after a bit of table hopping, to snag a small sofa which was perfect.  We ignored the mass array of smoothies and juices on offer and went boringly for a latte and green tea. We are nothing if not adventurous in our drink intake.  We barely stopped for breath for almost 2 hours, with V offering some good sage advice and before I knew it, V was off to work.  We fast-paced it to her office and I set off home, lighter in heart.

I already knew what I was making for dinner, making good use of my leftover miso marinade.  I dunked a couple of salmon fillets in the marinade and popped in the fridge for a few hours.  I made a cucumber salad, combining thin cucumber ribbons, 2tsp rice wine vinegar, 1tsp vegetable oil and a pinch of sugar and served with plain jasmine rice.  Bon appetit!

Miso Salmon with Cucumber Salad & Jasmine Rice

Gerry also made a rather awesome mulled wine for a little tipple with dinner.  She really is the 'Mulled Wine Whisperer'! A cheap bottle of plonk turned delicious with cinnamon, an orange, a clove studded satsuma and lemon. Brilliant!

Mulled Wine with Supper

Day 21 - A Bit of Detective Work

I had an early morning meeting today, which was good as it meant I had to get up early and get on with the day. It really has turned bitterly cold here and even though I know this I still tend to dress as though its autumn. Foolish I am. Anyway, since it was so cold I didn't linger in town like I had planned but headed straight home for a hearty breakfast of porridge and honey.  I find it pretty filling and rather comforting, which is something that I need during the day at home when the temptation to nibble on fridge items is more than compelling. I skipped through the job sites and settled in to peruse what might be out there. Very little it would seem. In the background I managed to keep half an eye on the newest series of Monk.  It is the final series of Monk, one of my all-time favourite detective shows, only narrowly beaten out by Murder She Wrote.  No one can beat Jessica Fletcher! However, thus far I have been unimpressed with Series 8. Don't get me wrong Tony Shalhoub and Traylor Howard still do a fine job but the storylines have been far from engrossing.  Still we are only on episode 3 of 16 so there is room for improvement, plus we will finally see the wrap up of the murder of Monk's wife Trudy right back at the start.

Monk finished I scavenged in the cupboards for all things lunch. I decided I should use what I had rather than going to the shops, so I ended up with a favourite of Bacon and Avocado salad with a sweet potato. It was yum and filling. However, since I was fairly famished I chose to do the bacon in the microwave, purely for speed. I laid out two bacon rashers on paper town in a Pyrex dish.  Marco Pierre White apparently heralds this method as the best way to cook bacon but Marco I disagree.  Perhaps it was the bacon I used, back rather than streaky but it curled and didn't crisp up. It was tasty enough but I think I should have put more time into doing it on the grill.  Still lunch was a quick and painless affair which is always good news.

After an adequate amount of time had passed I completed Day 16 of the Wii Active Challenge. I think my leg muscles are certainly stronger, at least I will have achieved something in January!  I also took a trip out to discover and research my new local gym opened by The Gym Group. It's so cheap at only £15.99 a month, with no contract.  Perfect for me, who at the moment, can't commit to anything long-term. I went with my little sis as we both plan to join together. It was a good, open-plan gym, that was functional and clean with good light. A and I will be signing up and attending our first session on Saturday hopefully!

Gym sorted, I set about tracking down all the ingredients I needed for dinner. I was planning to use up some of the remaining miso paste I had from sushi Saturday and doing a new favourite in our house - Nasu Dengaku. I wasn't able to get Japanese aubergines so I had to go with a Spanish import instead.  Being slightly thicker in size than a Japanese aubergine it needed a stint in the oven as well as the grill to make it tender enough. I borrowed the recipe from Momofuku for 2 and it really does work very well. I implore you, if you have not tried it, to give it a go as it really is very simple.  I only used half the marinade for the aubergines and the rest will go in the fridge and probably get used tomorrow night.

The dish went down well with Gerry which was great.  I served it with some white rice topped with poppy seeds.  My only complaint - not enough!

Nasu Dengaku & Rice

Day 20 - Wet Wednesday

Food was the first thing on my mind when I woke today. After a few drinks I definitely had the munchies. Breakfast was served downstairs and we chose quickly. I went for Eggs Benedict with bacon. It was extremely yummy but slight overkill with the hollandaise sauce. I had to set up a toast barrier to curb it's creep across my plate. Gerry went for the vegetarian breakfast and said it was yummy. It was paired with copious tea, coffee and juice and had the appetite I could have sampled fresh pastries and yoghurts. I do love the staff at Hotel Una because they do a real stand-up job!

After breakfast we took a little trip up to The Lanes to have a wander, Gerry desperately trying to stay out of the many funky clothing shops that adorn the streets. In my hunt for a bag I dragged Gerry into TK Maxx. I bought the Man's Bag from that particular branch 5 years ago and I wanted to see if it could come up trumps again. Bingo! I purchased a brilliant Mandarina Duck bag with an RRP price of £185 for a bargain £50! I think I'm in love with it.  It is slightly bigger than the Man's bag though so I don't think that the MB's is totally out of the game just yet. I also picked up a smaller bag form Rowallan's. I do like it but I'm still deciding whether its a keeper or returner. Hmm decisions, decisions.

Seeing as breakfast filled us up quite a lot we abandoned our sushi lunch plans and started back to London. With the rain setting in, it seemed the right time to go. See you soon Brighton, probably on a Thursday!  We made good time up to London and after a round about way of getting home we settled in on the sofa with bowls of homemade hot pea soup.

Pea & Mint Soup

It was just enough to last us until dinner and what else but sushi of course.  It was quick and easier after a busy couple of days and simply delicious. I think Eat Sushi is fast becoming one of my favourites.

To round off an enjoyable couple of days we watched Pan's Labyrinth. We've not watched it for around 4 years so I was just about ready to see it again but boy did I forget quite how graphic and at times pretty scary it is! I think the acting is superb and the director, Guillermo del Toro gets the tone of the film spot on. He really does pull you into the story and you forget that you have to read subtitles. I think the last 3 films that we have watched together are foreign language films and it makes me remember what talent is out there aside from the standard American and British offerings.

Anyway, off to bed now. It's been a good couple of days.  I think it's good to get away for a little while, if only for the night, it's just unfortunate that when you come home the troubles you tried to escape are probably still waiting.

Favourite View in Brighton

Day 19 - Adventure Day

Gerry and I were off to the coast today. I'd decided that it would do us good to get out of the city and spend some time together, just the two of us.  The plan had been to go ice skating first but with a slightly later than planned start it was straight down to Brighton instead. We got there in good time, with the sun desperately trying to peak through the clouds, and headed straight for The Lanes and lunch. I'd booked at Terre a Terre.  It's a vegetarian restaurant and with Gerry having a penchant for this sort of thing and the fact I'd heard very good things about it, I couldn't wait to try it out. It also has a good deal on at the moment where a selection of tapas, chunky chips and a carafe of organic wine for 2 all weighed in at only £35.  I wish I'd remember to take a picture of the tapas when it came because it looked amazing. All of the tapas were beautifully presented with amazing colours and brimming with flavour. I can imagine that quite a few people might dismiss it as an option because it serves no meat or fish but I wholeheartedly encourage you to give it a try if you are ever in Brighton! I'm an avid meat eater but the adventurousness of the food meant I didn't miss it at all. Apparently many of the chefs who have worked here also go on to work at Heston Blumenthal's restaurant The Fat Duck.  I would list down what we had for our tapas platter but I think that the 'not knowing what's coming' was half of the delight. I will tell you though that we indulged in one of their puddings - The Big Lemon and Icy Mother's Ruin. A fantastic lemon tart with the crispest glaze, served with a gin and tonic infused sorbet and fresh raspberries. All washed down with a 500ml carafe of organic Chardonnay. Pure heaven!

We rolled out of there a couple of hours later and went to check in at Hotel Una. It is a total gem and consistently voted the number one hotel in Brighton on Trip Advisor. We went for the Gaula room, despite being offered an upgrade, because we preferred the colours and light in the room. The staff are wonderful here, helpful without being intrusive. We collapsed in our room and relaxed letting lunch settle. Note to self here though, don't feed Gerry wine at lunchtime, her hangover kicked in a little more than 20 minutes after we'd left the restaurant!

For dinner we decided to take a rain check until later, choosing instead to hit a few bars. I had a mini lesbian pub crawl all worked out but as we walked past the first couple of pubs we chose to keep going. Brighton is obviously well-known for its gay bars and clubs but honestly from the ladies point of view it's a little disappointing. I'm sure if it wasn't a rainy Tuesday night in January it might have been a little more lively but even then I think it still leaves a little to be desired. We ended up at R Bar and kicked back with 2 very reasonable drinks. The place did start to fill up, it appeared to be Accoustic Karaoke night and a young lady was having her birthday party there too. It all seemed quite good fun, albeit it with lots of what appeared to be Skins extras, making us feel a little aged. Luckily we were reassured by a very friendly and chatty Italian girl, Lorena, who at the tender age of 23 told us that we didn't look a day over 26. Gerry still thinks we could have got away with 25.  I'd go back to the bar because as far as bars go it was pretty good. An eclectic mix of people and I hear on a Thursday night it can get quite wild...

We watched various talented and talentless individuals hit the stage for karaoke before we bid it adieu at midnight.  The plan was to go round the corner to Revenge, the club part of R Bar, but we were reliably informed by those in the know that it would be a little empty and not worth the entry fee so instead we chose to head down the road for fish and chips.  Now, they were no means the best fish and chips I've ever had but after a few drinks they tasted brilliant.  There is something so satisfying about using a little wooden fork to eat chips!  Night over we hit the sack.

It was a good evening for the most part, however, I think that our sociability precluded what Gerry and I needed to do most which was talk to *each other*.  This was kind of the reason I wanted to get away from the city in the first place. I hoped it would give us the time to focus on just us. However, even if one of you wants this it doesn't automatically track that the other will too. Maybe next time I need to be more explicit, although often other people and iphones can scupper the best made intentions. Plus, second note to self, don't let Gerry swap to cider after spirits, it can make the end of an evening come up a little short!

Day 18 - Monday Blues

It's Monday and the start of a brand new week.  This only means one thing, a whole week of job finding... this does not inspire.  The day started as it normally does with a Wii Active session - only 5 more sessions to complete the 30 day challenge but I'm not sure what I will have achieved by the end of it as I'm not sure I feel fitter.  Hmm.

Food to be honest wasn't top of my priorities today but in an attempt to gee myself up I made plans to create a creamy bacon & pea risotto for dinner. However, when Gerry arrived home and asked if I wanted to go out. I'd said earlier in the month that I wanted to be more spontaneous and this seemed like a good place to start, even more so as it was her very welcome suggestion. We headed to Banana Tree, a small and very popular Thai restaurant near our house.  It was quick and flavoursome and being early birds we benefited from their Express Menu special deal. I opted for Thai fish cakes with a sweet chilli sauce followed by a chicken Pad Thai.  Being little dare devils we also had a Chang beer to wash it all down.

Then it was back home to feast on popcorn and watch The Girl Who Played with Fire. I loved the books and the film does it justice.  However, Gerry is not a particular fan of the actor, Michael Nyqvist, who plays one of the film's leads, Mikael Blomkvist. I actually think he is well cast, although when I read the books I envisaged him being a little better looking. We munched on one of Gerry's favourite corn snacks, popcorn and it's actually the only picture I have of food from the day so it is therefore shown below. It was lovely and buttery and I could feel it sticking to my hips immediately. A nice end to a day that didn't start nearly as promising and I was very much looking forward to our coastal adventure the next day.

Movie Snack held by tattoo adorned other half

Day 17 - The Only Fish in the Sea

It's Sunday but because I don't work regular hours it really could be any day of the week. Despite my daily Wii Active sessions (now on Day 14 of 20) my energy levels are still at a low and I find the same old thoughts rotating round and round in my head. I know if I was a lot more proactive about work and relationships I might feel a little better but even when I am the knock-backs seem to abound and it dents my confidence quite a bit.  I'll try a little, just a toe in the water, but not too much, because what if I find what I'm actually dreading is true?  Sometimes when I'm surrounded by people, I'm find myself feeling more alone than ever, the only fish in a very big ocean. I'll lie in bed and wait for a reassuring touch for comfort and support but it never comes. I know everything is relative and I should look at what I have rather than what I don't but I'm finding life hard right now.

To this end and to take my mind of everything I threw myself into dinner. I'd bought some sea bass earlier in the week and aimed to pair it with the miso paste I had left over from Sushi night. Sea bass is one of my favourite fishes, it has a lovely subtle flavour and I had high hopes for my miso-infused version. I was inspired by a recipe from All Recipes and Nobu's signature dish 'Black Cod'. 

It made enough marinade for at least 2 sea bass fillets.

• 2 1/2 tbsp sake
• 2 1/2 tbsp mirin
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp white (Shiro) miso paste
• 2 x 175g Sea Bass Fillets

I put the fillets in a resealable plastic bag and poured the marinade over the top.  I popped this into a tupperware box in case of leaks and then into the fridge for as long as I could.  In this case for around 4-5hours I think. If I’d had my wits about me I would have done this yesterday but I think that the taste was good enough with just that amount of time.

I then put some jasmine rice on to steam and once done garnished with a little finely diced red pepper and cucumber with a squeeze of lime. Meanwhile I heated the grill up, making sure the oven rack was further away from the heat than normal, the middle shelf was about right. I put the fillets on a baking tray poured a little more marinade over them and put under the grill for around 7-8 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.

Then all that was left was plating up. I plated the rice, topped with the slightly blackened fish and sprinkled over a few finely sliced green chillis and red pepper. Dinner was served.

It was a light bright affair.  I’ve had the dish ‘Black Cod’ a few times now with a similar marinade but I can say with certainty that I much prefer it with sea bass.  The fish had a lovely subtle favour that went brilliantly with the sweetness of the miso marinade. Next time I shall endeavour to find some thicker fillets and serve it with some pak choi but it was absolutely scrumptious. Just not enough!

So, however flat I felt at the start of the day, at least for around 2 hours today I felt better.  Preparing and creating food really can be the best comforter.

Miso-Marinated Sea Bass

Day 16 - Meat & the Movies

I woke late due to my 4am finish and with a major hunger. It was straight to poached egg and waffle which was lovely but really just an appetiser for what was coming next. Gerry went to work early so it was lunch for one again. I still had sweet potato left so I decided a quick and scrumptious meal would be baked sweet potato with bacon and avocado.  The whole thing would take around 10 minutes to create from start to finish so I set to work. I popped 2 slices of wiltshire-cured bacon under the grill and scrubbed a sweet potato.  This was wrapped in paper towel and went into the microwave for 4 minutes. Next I chopped up 1oz of avocado, a tsp of light mayonnaise and 1oz of red onion.  I put some baby leaf salad in a bowl and waited for the bacon to turn crispy.  Once it was done it was a case of cutting it into strips and mixing in the with the mayonnaise and avocado.  The sweet potato went into the bowl and the topping added. Quick and delicious.

Sweet Potato with Bacon & Avocado

I do feel like I wasted the rest of the day a little. I remained in my pyjamas and did very little except watch back to back movies on TV. I first watched Robert Altman's ensemble piece 'Short Cuts'.  At 180mins long it did seem a little epic but I found myself drawn into the lives of the LA residents and their struggle with death and infidelity. I can certainly see why Altman was nominated for Best Director at the 1994 Oscars. If you can stick with it then its certainly a film I recommend.  The way the lives seem to intermingle is especially satisfying.

I then watched something at perhaps the complete other end of the spectrum, Suburban Girl with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alec Baldwin. I had intentions of not liking it despite being a fan of both actors.  I wasn't too sure how the younger girl falling for the older man scenario would pan out without falling into a horrible cliche.  However, it was surprisingly refreshing.  The two leads had good chemistry together and it wasn't as predictable as I suspected it might be.  It also had a nice little turn from Maggie Grace, who I thought was discarded woefully early in Lost.  Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Gerry informed me that she was being fed at work so the plans I had for a sizzling Korean beef dish for us both went on hold. I kicked back with a Chang beer and revised my plans. I had a piece of steak left over and a tummy to fill.  Once again I massaged the steak with 1tsp of groundnut oil, salt and pepper.  I then whisked together the following ingredients to create a dressing:

• 1 finely chopped garlic clove
• 1 tsp sugar
• A dash of maple syrup
• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• The juice of one lime 

This I left for around 30 minutes or so while I prepped the other ingredients for the dish.  I rinsed and steamed 1oz of jasmine rice cut up around 2oz of cucumber cut into strips and half a green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped.  Again, same as yesterday, I heated a griddle pan for 5 minutes and then cooked the steak for around 2minutes on each side to give me a medium-rare result.  The steak was actually much better cooked than yesterday and I think because I used groundnut oil instead, which as I've said is better at high temperatures. This rested for around 10minutes or so while I plated up the rice with the cucumber and chilli mixed in. I thickly sliced the steak and put it on top of the bed of rice. I then drizzled the dressing along the top.  The result was a tangy thai beef style salad. The sweetness of the dressing perfectly complemented the richness of the steak and the slight heat of the chilli. This recipe is a keeper!

Thai Beef with Jasmine Rice

Day 15 - Comfort Food

I had a late night and today an early morning. I have to skip down to the tube station to retrieve my ipod which had fallen onto the track after said late night. It really was the worse luck after it flicked from my pocket as I waited to get off and slipped through the smallest gap between the train and the platform. Brilliant. However, the staff were actually surprisingly helpful and promised they would retrieve it after the line closed for the night. Lo and behold they kept there word so off I went home with the ipod no worse for wear.

Music troubles sorted I turned my attention to food. I was tired from last night's soiree and wanted something filling and comforting. What better way to satisfy both needs than steak and chips. I purchased the necessary ingredients and headed home. I was in the midst of planning out the evening's meal when I got a a call for work that evening. After so few shifts this month and a rescheduling of a few things I agreed. This meant that dinner plans became lunch.

I chopped up a sweet potato into wedges and popped them in the oven with some groundnut oil for around 40mins.  I added in a halved tomato for the last ten minutes or so too.  Meanwhile, once the steak had come to room temperature, I marinated the steak in sesame oil, soy sauce, seasoning, and a spicy blend of meat salt. It was a slightly odd combination but I'd run out of olive oil and thought I could try and give it a slightly eastern flavour with the sesame oil.

Over the years I've managed to learn to do a pretty good steak and found its all about the timings. I heated a dry griddle pan over a high heat for 5 minutes. Then added the steak, making sure the fat was kept close to the side so it too could cook. I let it cook for 2 and a half minutes on each side and then rested it for 10minutes. I popped it on a plate with a green salad, the wedges and tomato. Lunch was served.

Steak & Chips

Day 14 - Food & Friendship without Facebook

Today's post is not as much about food I've created as about how food brings people together. After spending the afternoon doing a little exercise and searching the job market I was off out to dinner. Going out for dinner is perhaps my most favourite thing to do.  I love exploring new restaurants or going to friend's houses for supper because I believe that it brings us closer together. We can relax and laugh and offer advice and support all while enjoying one of life's biggest comforts - food. It's an incredibly social activity and a great way to catch up with someone you might not have seen for a while.

So, I made my way south of the river to C's house. I've known C for around 10 years now after we met at university.  Many a lecture was spent helplessly laughing rather than concentrating on what was actually being taught. Good times. C did a bang up job with dinner with a delightfully creamy butternut squash soup to begin, followed by a Prawn and Mango Curry with basmati rice. It was simply delicious despite C's concern over the slightly under-ripe mango. To finish we had a Strawberry tart with cream and it was all washed down with a lovely Chenin Blanc.  A perfect end to a really great evening. We always have such a fab time together that I'm very thankful we've remained firm friends all these years.

I've realised it's so easy these days to lose touch with people that were once very special to us.  I think in a way the plethora of new ways to contact people like Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging apps etc can actually lead to us to drift further apart. It's almost as though the fact we can contact people so easily now leads us to not contacting them at all. I think I actually stayed in contact with people far more when I had to try a little harder.  I would obviously much prefer to see someone in person but failing that I liked phone calls or even emails.  They always showed a little more thought than just firing off a message on Facebook or putting something on someone's wall.  Don't get me wrong I'm guilty of doing both those things on occasion, if only because it seems like the more accepted way of contacting someone now. It just seems that all these social networking sites often create more problems than they solve. If I had a penny for every time a friend told me about issues that have sprung up in their life due to something said on Facebook, well, I would be much better off.

I think that certainly on FB there are two distinct groups of people - the FB Givers and the FB Takers.  The Givers seem to feel the need to share every amazing thing that happens in their lives at every given opportunity, a constant electronic boast so to speak. The Takers, silently check out everyone else's lives but share little of their own, often a hair's breadth away from what might be considered stalking at times.

There are many reasons why people say they are on FB; to network, to share photos, to stay in contact with people who might not live in the same country to name but a few. Whatever the reasons, and they are certainly all valid, the one that people admit the least is that we are innately nosey individuals who like to be included in everything.  We like to know what is going on in other's lives and can achieve this without actually having to ask. We can check statuses, see photos, read walls and comments and all with the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger.  Thus it brings me back to my original point. These sites often do the exact opposite of their intention.  We are not brought closer together, rather we experience other people's lives from a distance.

Perhaps I am just stuck in the past and in resisting change I will be left behind.  However, I do know I am not alone in preferring life PFB (Pre-Facebook), a time when life seemed that little bit simpler. Life *can* exist without FB and all these other social networking sites it would seem, take dinner tonight for example, it was all arranged via SMS without FB in sight. Still using today's technology but without letting the entire world know of my plans. If I were brave enough I would log off Facebook permanently but then what if I missed something....

Day 13 - Master Baker

Today I baked. I am not good at baking. I once tried to make my little sister's 21st birthday cake.  It was an ambitious affair which involved 21 layers in the shape of a dinosaur - she is a fan.  However, after 18 eggs and only one, very large *single layer* I had to admit defeat. It was a sad day - I cried.  However, I am buoyed by recent culinary conquests so I thought I would have another crack at it.

I decided to go down the cookie route because really how hard can it be?  I mixed, I kneaded, and formed 16 balls of chocolate chip batter.  Each was squashed into a small round shape and popped into the oven for 12 minutes. All should have been well, however, I had not anticipated the balls spreading as they cooked, so what I ended up with was almost a sheet of cookie.  Ghastly school girl error. I had to divvy them into 16 square shapes and leave to cool.  Surprisingly they were warm and chewy and actually quite tasty, especially with a cool glass of milk.

Homemade Cookies & Milk

Today also marked the consumption of burgers and fries at a diner in Camden. Gerry had another rare day off, Monsieur, with these days off, you are really spoiling us, and after our drinking hijinks last night we shuffled slightly slower than normal over to Camden Market to scope out a new bag for me and new earrings for her.  It really was a traipse due to a terrible overland rail service that thwarted us initially and we had to resort to tube and bus. However, we got there in the end and immediately headed to The Diner. We ordered a couple of Modelo beers with burgers and fries. Gerry opted for a fish burger and wet fries while I stayed safe with a cheese burger.  Service was prompt and friendly and the food pretty good.  Not gourmet by any means and the fries weren't nearly as good as they could have been but it was comfort food which sated our hunger and slight hangover. Fed and beered we set off for the Lock and Stable Markets, where we managed to pick Gerry up some nice new earrings. I struck out on a new bag as nothing grabbed me as much as my current legendary Mans Bag.  It will live to see another day before replacement.

With the sun heading south we took to the bus and made our way home.  Dinner was another quick stir fry, tasty but not much to write home about.  It does make me realise though that when I'm tired and can't be bothered there are still dishes that take less time than a microwave meal.  It's a good lesson I should remember more often because its often all too easy to fall prey to the lure of takeaways or readymade meals.  Right off to bed as the eyelids are drooping.

Day 12 - The Joy of Motherhood & Childlessness

The weather has turned! Hurrah, it's cold but sunny and this always makes the outlook a little more cheery. Gerry had a day off today and we were off to see our friend Crummy Mummy and her new tiny adorable daughter with our other friend K and her son. Prior to all this, Gerry went off for a run and I got to the half way point on the Wii Active 30 Day Challenge. 10 workouts down, 10 to go!  Think I might start going out running soon, just by myself to begin with, before I join her. She is a pretty accomplished runner so need to up my game before stepping out with her.

Showered and beautified and K ready and waiting we jetted off up the motorway to see Crummy Mummy. We got there in good time and she had a most excellent lunch almost ready and waiting - an exemplary Coronation Chicken that was munched down with Pitta Bread and cous cous.  It made me want to make one of all time favourite recipes soon, Celebration Chicken. My mother has been making it for decades and I simply love it.  Since I've been dieting I've had to adapt it slightly for a healthier version but it is still delicious so stayed tuned for the full ingredients soon.

Today was a proper baby affair with both Crummy Mummy and K's new additions taking centre stage.  I got to bottle feed the wee girl who is only 6 weeks old and she really is something you could just eat!  Despite this being a food blog, I did choose not to however! K's small boy, only 4 months old, is one of the most well-behaved smiley babies I've ever come across (obviously, based on a totally unbiased opinion, my nephew is the best). They were so adorable and although I really do want my own at some point I  know that now is not the time. They are utterly exhausting and that is just from playing with them, let alone constant nappy changing, feeding, burping etc.  All in all it was a very enjoyable day, we caught up on each others lives, gossiped about other's lives and generally laughed uproariously.  Laughter is good medicine for the soul.  We left, I think, happier in heart and vowed to do it all again soon. I really hope we do, perhaps this time with a cheeky glass of vino. Said of course by the non-mother of the group.

By the time we got home Gerry and I were pretty hungry again and what better than a made-in-minutes prawn noodle stir fry. We headed to the shops for supplies.
Back at home I heated groundnut oil in a wok.  This type of oil is good for stir fries as it has no real marked flavour and can be heated to high temperatures without burning.  I threw in some garlic, sliced carrots, half a yellow pepper, tender-stem broccoli, sugar snap peas, baby corn, sliced spring onions and a whole red chilli. This was stir-fried for around 3 minutes or so to soften it all up. I added a tsp of fish sauce, 2 tsp of green thai curry paste (just because I had it in the fridge) and then added some raw tiger prawns for another 2 minutes to cook through. For the final 2 minutes I added some wok ready noodles and 2 tsps of soy sauce to bring it all together.  A meal for 2 ready in less than 10 minutes - perfect. One note to self though, whole red chilli's are very hot and should not in future be bitten in half and eaten with seeds still intact....

Prawn Noodle Stir Fry

After dinner and an hour of aimless channel changing I decided to be spontaneous and suggested a jaunt to the local pub. Gerry looked slightly shocked because we are meant to be saving money at the moment but after a beat agreed.  It was after all only 9.15pm and as a young, vibrant, childless couple with no work tomorrow, it is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing. A quick change into something resembling cool and we headed to The Lion.  It's by no means the best drinking establishment closest to home but it is very reasonable.  A bottle of Germany's finest Riesling cost a mere £8.70.  Two bottles later and a rousing game of 'I have Never..' we tottered out onto the street for home. It was a great  unexpected evening and something I want to do a little more often.  Maybe next time I'll suggest dancing in town... :)

Day 11 - Monday Fail

I failed miserably today in regards to cooking.  I was still at my parents and had a slightly sleepless night, punctuated by small dog head-butting the bedroom door just to give me a cheeky smile and wag of his tail before trotting quite happily back to his bed. How very thoughtful.

After an energetic start to the day with Day 9 of Wii Active - it really is quite a 30 minute work out and something I highly recommend. I can feel biceps forming already!

Breakfast was quaffed down quickly and was nothing out of the ordinary. With the weather being absolutely dire I abandoned plans to walk into town to replace watch battery and buy A4 frame, thus the television got my full attention. There was very little on unfortunately and I found myself succumbing to The Holiday.  Actually quite a good film, marred only by the woeful miscasting of Jack Black as a romantic interest for Winslet. He may be considered amusing by some but this does not make up for his complete lack of sex appeal. I can think of so many others who would have been far better choices.  Poor old Kate, Cameron gets Jude while she gets, well...Jack.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic, the film brought me neatly to lunch time and again it was a dull affair. I'd made a Chicken Tikka Masala the night before so had the rest of this with some basmati rice. Tasty but not picture worthy.  Parents arrived back shortly after lunch and we caught up over pots of green tea.  All very healthy.  Time was getting on so I set off back home with plans forming in my head of what I could do with a tin of hotdogs, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs and pasta. However, by the time I made it through the doors and saw Gerry, visions of sushi were dancing before my little eyes.  I'm slightly ashamed to admit it was time for takeaway. Gerry wanted noodles and I was craving some fresher than fresher fish. I swung into action online and ordered from Eat Sushi.  I haven't ordered from here in quite a while as remember not thinking it was anything special first time around but decided to give it another go and very glad I did.  Despite being 15 minutes late, the varied sashimi was some of the best I've had recently, the hosamaki salmon rolls and marinated mackerel nigiri  were lovely.  We even got some free vegetable tempura in a black pepper and salt mix which was a welcome addition.  We paired it with warm Sake and it was consumed in minutes. So much so that I only remembered to get a picture on the last roll!

So to sum up, not really a culinary creative day on my part but I did get to experience foods from around the world today. From India to Japan, I had experienced a spicy buttery chicken curry to melt in the mouth sashimi and crispy lightly battered tempura.  Plus, everyone needs a day off.

The Last Roll

Day 10 - Going Greek

Back at the parents today to dog sit my ever lovable border terrier Rufus while they are away. He is the Brad Pitt of the dog world, although he is quite old now, so perhaps he should be elevated to George Clooney status.  Anyway I digress, being at the folks means that I had to raid their fridge for sustenance. My older sis and gorgeous little nephew came over for lunch so I thought I should whip up something healthy but filling.  Having done a recce, the parents fridge lent itself quite nicely to a Greek salad and Marinated Chicken Breast.  Before they arrived I marinated an 225g chicken breast for around an hour in the following ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper

I also threw together a little dressing with the much of the same ingredients I used for the marinade.  I shook it all together and popped it in the fridge until they arrived.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 crushed garlic cloves (crushed just with the back of a knife)
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper

While my nephew napped, T and I caught up and I managed to smoke out the kitchen while shallow frying the chicken. I then rested the chicken for around 5mins while I prepared the salad:

• 2 tomatoes
• 4 oz cucumber
• 10 black olives
• 1 small gem lettuce sliced into strips 
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 red onion
• 2oz light feta cheese

I assembled the whole dish together and the following was the result.  The chicken was actually delicious and although I would have liked to have marinaded it for longer it was lovely as it was.  A splash of the dressing with the red wine vinegar also gave it a little bit of a bite.  All for around 360 calories.

Chicken & Greek Salad

Dish & Dressing

I spent the rest of the afternoon working off lunch playing with my nephew.  Despite the fact I am a probably a little biased, he really is the most intelligent, funny and handsome little boy.  Just got to get him to say my name before all his other aunts and uncle!

Day 9 - Brunch and Other Things

After too few hours sleep thanks to work last night I dragged myself from my bed and met one of my oldest friends for a civilised brunch affair.  We went to one of my favourite places, The Wet Fish Cafe, and I ordered the 'Bubble & Squeak, Poached Eggs, Crispy Pancetta, Sausage & Hollandaise Sauce'.  I thought since it's quite a feast I could do as the name suggests and combine my breakfast and lunch intake.  There was a slightly embarrassing moment when the waiter said that they were out of 'bubble' leading P and I to discuss which part of the potato and cabbage concoction the bubble would be and would I therefore just get a potato cake or pile of cabbage. I have since discovered that 'Bubble' is simply a shortened name of the entire thing.  The 'bubble' part is likely because the ingredients are first boiled - giving us the bubbles, and then it is fried producing the squeaking noise, hence the second half of the name. Oh the shame.  Anyway, in the end they had enough 'bubble' to go around so it joined the rest of the awesomeness on my plate. It was delicious and I wish I could depict it here in all its glory but I was so ravenous photos were forgotten.  Having stuffed ourselves well and truly  P and I returned to Chez Fisher for a cup of tea.  All in all a very lovely way to spend a Saturday morning.

After P had left, Gerry returned home from making TV magic and we both promptly fell asleep on the sofa.  I had intended on watching 'Did You Hear About the Morgans?', which to my credit I did start but it was so truly awful that I fast forwarded through the end and hit my snooze button.  SJP and Hugh Grant should be ashamed of themselves for that effort.
Awaking at 6pm, I put the brain into gear for dinner.  I wanted something quite light but comforting. I checked the fridge and came up trumps with half a squash, a small sweet potato and some sweetcorn.  Soup it was.

I fried up half an onion with garlic in oil until translucent and then added diced squash and sweet potato.  I sautéed this for around 8 mins just to soften it up a little and then added a pint of stock, 100ml of milk and a pinch of basil.  I simmered this for around 15mins until the veg were tender and chucked in the sweetcorn for the last 3 mins until cooked through.  Off the heat and all whizzed together.  It was actually really nice, quite fragrant from the sweet potato but Gerry said was a winner.  Once again I have created culinary magic from ingredients in my fridge. Hurrah!!

Sweetcorn, Sweet Potato & Squash Soup

Day 8 - A Pig Saves the Day

The title of this blog may seem a little abstract but today, Friday, when supplies are running very low, the mighty pig came to the rescue - twice. Today has been a mixed bag, a very good friend of mine K came over with her adorable little boy and we had a very enjoyable couple of hours lamenting the lack of work at the moment and the horrid weather.  It really does put a downer on everything.  We feasted on homemade banana bread made by Gerry and K brought over some Florentines which were delicious.  She's off swimming with the little one today and I don't envy her having to plunge into cold water right now.
Lunch was a meal that I should be creative with today because later I'm working so cannot create my normal culinary masterpiece (yes I know, can they *all* be deemed masterpieces, probably not).  However, as I said I'm running rapidly out of supplies and my stomach was getting a little frustrated so what better than a ham & cheese toastie on the ever-trusty George Foreman to save the day.  I delved in the back of my cupboard and also found a minestrone soup with croutons - bonus!  Lunch is served!

Ham & Cheese Toastie in all its Glory

The afternoon was a little more subdued because I often think when left to my own devices I become a little more anxious about the future, work etc. I mindlessly flicked through channels watching things I've seen before in the background and wondering why they repeat the same shows over and over again in such short spaces of time, while applying for a couple of jobs but generally felt a bit blurgh. Gerry came home and we watched 'My Neighbors, The Yamadas'. It cheered me up.
On to dinner,  it was a similarly quick affair to lunch. It involved the mighty sweet potato (wrapped in a napkin as I'm now all out of kitchen towel), 1oz avocado, 1oz onion, 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise and of course 2 slices of the mighty pig.  The last rashers of maple-cured bacon are now on their way down to my stomach.  It was actually pretty delicious and I topped it decadently with some Ligonberry jam.  It was an impulse purchase from Ikea and I'm still not sure why.  Anyway, dinner as Gordon Ramsey would say is 'Done'.

It looks a little messy, minus marks for presentation but it was delicious!