It's very fitting that I am listening to Norma since I was fortunate enough to spend most of last monday in her fabulous company. I have long admired her and celebrated her work with Fred, John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler and many more great artists. So it was really special to meet her and drink tea with someone who is, in my opinion, one of Britain's greatest jazz singers. She is wise, intuitive, warm and generous and you should definitely leap at the chance to hear her live if the opportunity arises.
Much to my surprise, I am actually in the midst of being on holiday. Yes. HOLIDAY. Which means I am doing nothing music related (apart from the lesson with Norma and listening to my ipod) and actually relaxing for the first time in ages. I all too often mix holiday time with working, which is both great and counter productive. It's great because I love gigging and teaching, but it means I don't end up relaxing in the allotted time and it becomes tricky to make myself "let go". So, good news! I am incredibly relaxed and soaking up every minute of time spent in this magnificent city and delicious catch-ups with dear family and friemily (friends who are almost like family).
Food-wise, London is fantastic. A lot of my favourite NYC items (Vosges chocolate, Fage yogurt) have been spotted in London convenience stores and, likewise, I've seen Petit Filous pop up in the Columbus Circle Whole Foods. There's even a section in Selfridge's Food Hall called "American Food". So it's become incredibly exciting to find things on both sides of the Atlantic that are not yet internationally available-in NYC that includes Fine & Raw Chocolate, and in London I make sure to top up my stash of Dragonfly Morrocan Mint Green Tea. I was also asked by a Scottish friend in NYC, Macbeth, to bring him back Cadbury Cream Eggs and HP Sauce (in the squeezy bottle) so it's nice to know there are still some novelty items from both places.
When I had my lesson with Norma I had to catch a train from St Pancras Station. I purposefully took the latest possible train so that I could browse, leisurely, through all my favourite UK food stores-M&S (Marks and Spencer), Pret A Manger (they only have them in midtown in NYC and they close stupidly early), Sourced Market, Benugo, and more. I could spend hours in grocery stores looking at food packaging, ingredients lists, flavour pairings, etc. It's particularly fun strolling through M&S because South Africa's Woolworths has copied many of their creations (there's some business connection between the two enterprises). The little containers of marinated artichoke hearts, the "new discovery" packets of broad beans or fresh edamame, the range of microwave Indian dishes. It's all so clever and so delicious. Here are some store front visuals:
Pret's hot sweet potato falafel wrap with spicy tomato sauce is faberoo.
I haven't eaten at Yo!Sushi on this trip....yet....instant sushi gratification.
Family fun I'd say.
After my Pret hot wrap and green tea I did some more wandering and it wasn't long before I was peckish again. I found this delicious looking yogurt cup from "Sourced Market"-an upscale grocery store stocking local products. What appealed about the yogurt was that it came in a glass jar (very traditional) and the yogurt in question was resting neatly on a layer of rhubarb compote (I don't eat rhubarb very often). Armed with my yogurt concoction, I boarded the train for greener pastures.
All gooooone.
Moving on from ready-made meals to homemade meals. While in London, I am staying with Mama Bear and her husband, Dr Knee. They are unbelievably hospitable so I thought the least I could do would be to cook a meal for them. They both work so hard and have been working late this week so I thought it might be more useful to cook for them than to buy them more Tresemme Shampoo (I wash my hair a lot). Cousin Kindle came over and the whole meal was quite yummy-Mama Bear had seconds after "inhaling" her first helping. The menu comprised roasted chicken breasts with artichoke hearts and a tomato basil marinade, roast brussel sprouts, baby asparagus and runner beans, and a raw zucchini ribbon salad with bocconcini balls and marinated tomatoes.
Here's the recipe if you're ever looking to throw together a quick, yummy dinner for 4 or more:
Tomato-Drenched, Artichoke-Bejeweled Chicken Breasts
with Roasted Green Vegetables
-Store-bought tomato sauce (or you can make your own)
-A jar or container of marinated (or plain) artichoke hearts
-Skinless chicken breasts (they cook quicker without the skin)
-A selection of green veg: brussel sprouts, french beans, broccoli/broccolini, asparagus, broad beans, edamame, peas, runner beans, zucchini, the list goes on.
-Olive oil
-Salt & pepper
-Lemon juice
-Pesto (optional)
1. Preheat the oven at 180C/375F
2. Prepare your veg by slicing the sprouts in half (to cook quicker), julienning the zucchini, etc.
3. Place the veg in a roasting pan and coat generously with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Place the veg in the oven (they will take 30-45 mins depending on the quantity).
5. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and plant the artichoke hearts in the gaps between the breasts.
6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
7. Pour over the tomato sauce and any oil from the artichoke hearts.
8. Place the chicken in the oven (check the chicken after 20 minutes of cooking and continue to cook for 2 minutes at a time if not yet opaque and cooked through).
9. When the veg has cooked to your liking (some like it charred, others like it al dente), take it out of the oven and add a good dollop of pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice.
This meal is best enjoyed in the company of family and contentedness.
Since being in the UK, I've started drinking and enjoying breakfast tea. Before this trip I was a massive drinker of the herbal variety but I have recently begun to crave a normal cup of tea (with a splash of milk) as 4 o'clock draws around. It makes me feel very authentically British and I welcome that moment when I lean in to sip the tepid liquid and smell that faint hint of sweetness that black tea possesses. One friemily member, Reverse Scissor, has a beautiful abode in London and has been living here for the past month. Her daughter (and sister of mine by friemily genes), Yogi Solicitor, is studying in London. I had tea with them yesterday and Reverse Scissor is quite a culinary aficionado so it's always exciting to discuss matters of the stomach with her and Yogi. We drank tea and ate muffins and cinnamon buns from a local Nordic bakery. It. Was. Awesome.
Reverse Scissor also had an extra ticket for one of the Jewish Book Week events so I went with her to hear Yotam Ottolenghi in conversation with Allegra Goodman (a Cambridge novelist). I do looooove Ottolenghi-his delis and his cookbooks (which are a must for any vegetarians out there-they will change your life!). Here's an example of some of the recipes we've come to love from the Israeli/Palestinian team behind the franchise:
Sweet potato patties with cumin and coriander
Turkish beef and leek meatballs
Roasted beetroot and plum salad
Fresh berries with orange blossom syrup and cream
Warm haloumi and chicory with pomegranate and walnut
Aubergine with herbs
Baked okra with tomato and preserved lemon
Quinoa and fennel salad
Poached quince with star anise, blackberries and vanilla ice-cream
Padron pepper fritters
Braised lamb meatballs with yoghurt and herbs
Saffron couscous with butter and chervil
Green bean salad with mustard seeds and tarragon
Fig and grappa trifle
Char-grilled squash with labneh and pickled walnut salsa
You can find out more about the Ottolenghi empire at http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/
Ottolenghi's Pear and Cranberry Upside-down Cake.
You are making me hungry! All of that food looks and sounds delicious. Glad you are relaxing on holiday...not always easy to do ;) Enjoy!
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