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Behind the pie
Keen eater of honest food. Love my life in Dubai but happiest in hiking boots & green hills. Wine nerd. Writer. Blogger. Dreamer. Read moreLooking for something?
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Body in a heap today but mind and spirit soaring like a bird. It’s easy to think of all the potential unknowns before a trip like this: flight to London, getting on tube to hotel with heavy bag, finding hotel, not losing anything, going out for dinner alone, going out for dinner with a group of people you’ve never met, braving a conference filled with strangers, taking good photographs/video (more about that anon), deciding the best workshop to go to etc etc. Perhaps it’s my age (definitely not my confidence levels) but my curiosity and enthusiasm overrides all of this. And I’ve found the best way is to take each thing as it comes. My reward was 3 days of learning, exploration and joy - especially the pleasure of meeting so many brilliant people at @Blogtacular. 📷 . I have some images I love from going out on Brick Lane with my camera but complete rubbish from the conference. I was listening to speakers, absorbing things, chatting, laughing, eating. I’ve seen tweets and posts and video from other delegates (see #Blogtacular) but barely managed Stories. Have found you have to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to one thing at a time. If you’re spread too thin you get the least out of everything (not taking anything away from those who managed to multi-task so brilliantly). 📷 . Managed a quiet cup of tea at @polpo_restaurants in Notting Hill prior to the photowalk with @chevronseclairs before everything took off at pace. ☕️ . I was surprised at how many people said how nervous they were about coming on their own - especially the young ‘uns. Does this trepidation strike a chord and how do you deal with it? ☕️ . #adoremycupofteaDo you remember life before pesto? Before we even knew that pesto was a thing (Italians excluded obvs). How did we live? I used to make my own from scratch but my family all preferred the jar stuff - which I can’t stand. Even opening the jar makes me wrinkle my nose. This is a compromise. A bit of jar stuff, lots of fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano, black pepper and good olive oil for that slurp factor. By the way, spaghetti is the only shape of pasta that KP will eat 🙈 🍽 📷 . Slurp is the theme for today’s #eatcaptureshare for @thelittleplantation challenge. PPS The gorgeous pot borrowed from legendary food stylist @fionaarchibold and not returned yet 🙈‘Any tips for cooking bitter gourd?’ I asked tentatively. @foodienfabulous @foodnflavors and @ishitaunblogged sent messages immediately. Don’t you just love this online community? If you haven’t tasted this before, by golly it’s bitter. A small amount as part of a plateful of curry was sufficient but strangely addictive. Thanks to @foodnflavors for the recipe. Happy to continue my education if anyone else has any guidance. PS Swipe to see this knobbly vegetable. . . Bitter was today’s theme for @thelittleplantation Instagram challenge #eatcaptureshare Hit the hashtag to see what bitter foods everyone else has featured. #bittergourdTrying to see out of the window right now but it’s so humid outside that there’s a white mist of condensation. Like in England in Winter but the other way round. Salad is the only option. Although I haven’t left all my English roots behind. Off out tonight and I’ve already chosen. Fish and chips 😉 . . Does the weather affect what you want to eat? . . Recipe for this Moroccan spiced date and carrot salad on blog 🥕 And this is ‘savoury’ for @thelittleplantation #EatCaptureShare challenge 😊 #thirtydaysofdatesSocial me-dya gets a lot of flak but the way it connects us can be magical. When one of my real life food heroes @anissahelou came to @emirateslitfest in 2013 we’d already been in touch via her blog and Twitter. I think she had a vague inkling of my existence at least. So when I tentatively sent a message on Instagram to ask whether the breads I made looked right and I got an instant reply (“nice!”) my day was made. She also was generous enough to let me use her recipe on my blog. . . These are light, fluffy, simple to make and perfect with a cup of tea. The dark ones are something else... to be continued... . . I’m a day late for @thelittleplantation Spring Instagram Challenge but not beating myself up about it (unusually). The first theme is ‘sweet’ and I love how the natural sugars in the dates encased in a slightly sweetened bread topped with crunchy sesame seeds all meld together in these special breads for Ramadan. . . Do you have memories of Ramadan breads or indeed any traditional breads for special occasions? . . Recipe on blog #thirtydaysofdates #EatCaptureShareStews get better the day after don’t you think? Partly because the flavours deepen and mellow. And partly because you don’t have to do any prep for supper. 😉 . . If you read my blog, yes KP did eat this without fathoming there were dates in the sauce. Hop over for the recipe and to find out why this blue tagine means a lot to me. #thirtydaysofdatesLooking for good date hashtags can be a bit precarious 🙈 I’m sticking with #thirtydaysofdates and though I haven’t posted EVERY day on my blog there are NINE since May 18th. Excuse the shouty capitals but I’m bloomin’ flabbergasted. . . Swept up by the excitement (and slight mania) that going down a rabbit hole of an edible topic can bring. Dates are woven through the history and culture of the whole Middle East and consuming my every waking moment (in between work and eating). . . Take a simple orange and date fruit salad for instance. There’s the Moroccan version... and then dozens of delicious twists and permutations. Pop over to Le Blog for more...The air shimmers with the heat and as the soft light of dusk falls there is an quiet expectation. A signal is given and the first sip of water is taken, the first date eaten. Sitting in a mosque courtyard in Sharjah, among people breaking their Ramadan fast, was a poignant experience. . . Of course as this was a @fryingpanadventures tour with @heartofshj this was just the start of an evening of interesting and delicious food in unusual places. . . Hop over to the blog to read more about it ... #thirtydaysofdates #heartofsharjah #visitsharjah #foodtoursPoking a toe out of the door this morning, I sighed with relief once more. Banging the gate shut, I spotted other dog walkers with a similar spring in their step, ambling about rather than bowed down and red-faced. May this current spell without humidity continue, however high the temperatures soar. 🔆 Another date revelation - you can sweeten and bind granola with it. Cereal-hater converted by this bowl cardamom-scented bowl of nutty, seedy crunch. Very good for my age group too. Which is 21 in my head but rather more advanced when I catch a glimpse of my reflection 🙈 #thirtydaysofdates #breakfastgoalsPast posts
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