Three sucesses and a disaster

Stir-fried coconut rice with lamb and sweet potatoes

The week started so well.

The leg of lamb the man insisted on purchasing was put to good use when the mothers and others came for dinner. I admit I slightly overcooked it, nothing heinous (unless you’re French I expect) but not as pink as I would have liked. Happily our guests appeared to have less discerning palates and they were most complimentary. Of course they could just have been being kind, but the mothers are often not kind, they are honest in a way that is sometimes amusing, sometimes tactless and usually admirable. Seconds were had however and that surely means it was tasty enough to get through the first round of Masterchef, perhaps with merely a raised eyebrow from Greg Wallace and a seriously spoken ‘not bad’ from the Junior Roux. NB. Getting through the first round of Masterchef does not appear to be that tricky, I am no way claiming I have the skills and finesse of say, a quarter-finalist.

The man made some rather marvellous stock with the leg and that plus the leftover meat was used to make Mary’s Saturday Soup. Absolutely gorgeous. The recipe is in The Return of the Naked Chef and I had never cooked it despite having had the book for years. It is rather strange that although I am far more a fan of Nigel Slater’s homely simplicity I seem to have accumulated an obscene number of Jamie Oliver”s tomes. Well, four. But still!

Anyway the soup is West Indian in origin (as in from the West Indies not from the West of India) and is packed full of sweet potato, butternut squash, coconut, spices, lamb (oviously) and then deliciously topped with soft, steaming dumplings. (Mr Oliver not so generous with the dumplings, his recipe gave us about one each, needless to say I doubled). This soup is so hearty my sister insisted it was a stew. Stew or soup it was glorious, quarter-finals here I come!

(NB. At no point was Jamie actually naked was her? That was just a catchy title wasn’t it? Or is there some farcical story attached to it? Answers on an e-card please)

The leftovers of this concotion were then fried up with some boiled rice (see picure) and sprinkled with some spring onions and chilli to make a warm and filling supper that enabled me to bask in the glow of my own economy. Not necessarily financial, but ingrediential, or something.  Sadly the glow was soon to fade, I made the mistake of dipping back into Jamie Oliver, ho ho.

Ravioli with pine nuts, ricotta, parmesan and loadsa herbs (but not necessarily in that order) brought with it frustration and waste and replaced it with lost time, hours never to be regained. Yum! I thought as I read the recipe, ooh I’ve not made fresh pasta in ages I reflected as my excitment grew, the decision was easily made, and bitterly regretted. Okay, enough with the melodrama, on with the (pine)nuts and bolts of the story.

I chose the Pauper’s Cookbook recipe for pasta over Jamie’s, what with his using about twelve eggs and the former using just five. Yes, his he has self-proclaimed as ‘blinding’ and eggs aren’t that expensive but he uses eight yolks! On my waste-not kick I would have eight egg whites to find a use for and I rather think that is beyond my beginners’ level. (I cannot countenance even the concept of an egg white omlette, it is healthy eating gone mad, and tasteless.)

I floured, I rolled, I floured, I machined, I floured, I cut, I floured, I piled, I floured some more. Regardless of the flour overload the piled up pieces of pasta stuck togetehr anyway and so the process started again. Once part one was complete I began part two; I filled and covered and wetted and stuck over and over and over again. Covered in flour, hair askew, I ended up with a lump of leftover pasta dough I couldn’t face. It remains in the fridge. Ravioli came, saw my resolution, and conquered it. Still it was gobbled up within minutes and I’m bloody glad they appreciated it because it will be a long time before they get it again!

All is not lost. I shall begin again. Already I am mentally surveying the contents of my fridge; a leek, a courgette, some rocket and herbs, ham and cheese. In my cupboards; chickpeas, canellini beans, lentils, tinned tomatoes and various spices. It’s gonna be interesting.

And so it begins…

I am armed with just my determination. Well, not just my determination. At my disposable I also have a variety of pots and pans, a wok, a grater, miscellaneous cutlery, a hand blender, a magimix, a microwave, a number or cake tins, not to mention an outrageous number of cookery books. And then some.

I have been inspired. Or something that means the same but is far less cheesy-sounding. Trying to live on a budget, or within moderate means, had me reaching for the wonderful Pauper’s Cookbook and that, backed up by the great Nigel Slater’s fantastic new series (‘making it up is not making do’) hardened my resolve to banish waste from my kitchen.

I want to make great food and save money, I want to stop relying quite so heavily on recipes, I want to do what I most fear; experiment in the kitchen. Ahem. I want to eat less – better quality – meat.

This blog will follow my travails, be they good or merely disasterous.

Want to work with Gandalf and Captain Picard?

By Sarah Hunter-Argyle

 Young actors will have the chance to work with two of Britain’s most respected stars thanks to the King’s Theatre.

 Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan will appear in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in April next year. Open auditions will be held on the 11^th and 12^th December to find two actors to play the part of ‘the boys’.

 ”The quite exciting thing is they’re actually going to be acting with Ian and Patrick, rather than just a random walk on part.” Alice Driver, the Education and Learning Manager of the Theatre Royal Haymarket, said.

Exclusive: Local police admit numbers of drink drivers uncertain

By Sarah Hunter-Argyle

Lothian and Borders Police admit that a recent drink driving campaign doesn’t tell us whether there are fewer drink drivers on the road.

 A few years ago they stopped recording negative test results during drink driving campaigns which means they don’t know if the percentage of drink drivers has gone up or down.

 Operations Inspector with the Road Policing Branch, Jillian Kerr, told Dunedin Napier News: “You can’t really tell what it is that has brought the figure down… and one of my bugbears personally is that a couple of years ago ACPOS [Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland] decided that we wouldn’t record negative breath tests, we’d only record positive. So yes we’ve got less but is that because we’ve breath tested less?”

 A recent four week campaign run over the festive period caught 93 drink drivers, which seemed to be an improvement on last year’s figures when 120 people were arrested over the same period.

 Kerr said: “It would be better to say we’ve tested more and we’ve caught less, you can’t really tell if drink driving is down if you don’t know. I would imagine we did test more because of the amount of officers we had out but we can’t say that because we don’t know.”

Edinburgh arts legends: Mark Thomson and Frank Boyle

I was going to post a huge host of articles I’ve recently written for my job as Communications Advisor with Syngenta, however it has belatedly occurred to me that due to many internal rules, they won’t let me. Believe me this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, you are missing out on some absolute treats.

Anyway, to help ease the pain here are two pieces published in The Journal; an interview with Lyceum artistic director Mark Thomson and one with the Evening News cartoonist Frank Boyle.

The Alchemist

Mark Thomson

It’s been nearly five years since Mark Thomson took over as artistic director at the Lyceum and it’s clear to see he hasn’t lost any enthusiasm for the job. He’s directed his own plays, Shakespeare and the mammoth Faust (parts one and two), as well as over seeing recent productions of the Glass Menagerie and Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author.

His success is no doubt in part down to the fact that he takes his responsibility for the theatre very seriously. Part of the Lyceum’s mission statement is about entertaining and stimulating the citizens of Edinburgh and for Mark Thomson that’s about having a dialogue with the audience, a conversation.

“I’ve tried to create a social integrity to the work,” he says, “which means that what we do on stage has something to say about the lives we’re living. I’m firmly of the mind that I’m charged with not being a purely commercial enterprise. It’s important that this has a social dialogue with not just Edinburgh but Scotland.”

Fabulous festivals and Harvey Nics wonder woman!

Neither of these articles were published, but written for class, still, my tutor really liked them so they’re worth a look. The first is about Scotland’s burgeoning festival culture and the second is a profile of Harvey Nichol’s marketing director, Annette Lamb. Both were written in 2007.

 

The festival phenomenon

 

Next week the Lonely Planet travel guide empire will arrive in the capital; bringing with it its first ever film festival. With performances of Amelie and the Italian Job at Edinburgh’s Cameo Cinema the festival is attempting to inspire travellers with the destinations seen on screen. The festival is taking place in cinemas around Britain and the team behind hope it will become an annual event.

 

The Mod, a festival which celebrates Gaelic culture, is over one hundred years old and while at its inception it was one of very few annual festivals it is now one of a growing number. From the better known – Edinburgh Festival Fringe for example, to the slightly obscure – the country’s first ever snowdrop festival – Scotland plays host to hundreds of festivals each year.

 

The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary this summer. When it began in 1947 the founding ethos of the event was to reunite the spirit of the European people after the war, by bringing international performers to Scotland. It wasn’t however, the only reason a festival was believed to be a good idea.

 

Susie Burnett, marketing manager of EIF says: “The founding fathers also recognised that if this festival worked that then they were going to bring in a huge new source of revenue for the country and also a huge profile”.

 

Top ten free Edinburgh attractions

Fancy a free day out in the capital? Here are my fabulous tips, as published in The Skinny.

Top Ten Free Edinburgh Attractions

 The Scottish Parliament, Royal Mile

Opening hours:                Business days (Tues-Thurs) – 9am – 7pm

                                                Non business days (Mon/Fri) – 10am – 6pm

Money! Money! Money! £400 million to be exact, but was it all worth it? Get down there and judge for yourselves. Go on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday for a chance to see a Committee or Parliament meeting in motion. Tickets to such are free but booking is recommended.

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Inverleith Row (East Gate), Arboretum Place (West Gate)

Opening hours:                Daily 10am – 7pm (6pm in Oct, 4pm Nov-Feb)

Having a romantic moment? Indulge your poetic soul with a walk through this beautifully landscaped garden. Paintings by American modernist Robert Ryman can be seen in Inverleith House until 1^st October while the Exhibition Hall features the island chain of Soqotra – ‘the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’.

 The New Town

It may be an Edinburgh landmark now but a few centuries ago the Old Town was overcrowded, dirty and downright unsanitary. The New Town was built to relieve the strain and now is one of the city’s most desirable areas. Charlotte Square is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture and visitors can admire Bute House, home to First Minister Jack McConnell, from the outside at least.

 Arthur’s Seat, Holyrood Park

Arthur’s Seat and the surrounding hills are a wild and untamed wonder. Wander up or roll down but mind you don’t end up in one of the Lochs. Watch out for Salisbury crags, that rocky outcrop is not for the faint-hearted.

 Museum of Scotland, Chamber Street

Opening hours:                Daily 10am – 5pm

Museums, eh, dull aren’t they? Bah! Not so. Learn about Scotland’s wildlife, lands and people from its very beginning right up to life in the midst of the industrial revolution. Fear not the great halls of history!

My how to… columns

Published in 2007 in Veritas, these two columns contain some very good advice on wildly varying subjects; lying and surviving snowstorms.

How to… lie convincingly

“It is always the best policy to speak the truth,” Jerome K Jerome said, “unless of course, you are an exceptionally good liar.” Not a bad wee rule that.

Now, we all know lying is bad. As we know drugs are bad, and smoking is bad, and bitching about people behind their backs is bad, Lying is just one of those bad things people do. All. The. Time. And unlike some of the other ‘bad’ things mentioned, it would be nigh impossible to find someone who doesn’t lie. And nearly as difficult to find someone who doesn’t lie on a regular basis.

Could you make it through a whole day telling the absolute truth?

“How are you?” What a loaded question. How much you could say. But of course few people really want you to tell them.

There are some situations when an honest answer is expected. If, for instance, you’ve just broken up with your boyfriend of five years and reacted by hacking your beautiful long hair off with a kitchen knife, drinking two bottles of (eek!) Glenns vodka, and screaming abuse at people in the street, your best friend arrives on your doorstep, gazes at your red-faced, drunken and twitching visage and says, with an expression of extreme concern verging on terror, “how are you?” It’s safe to say they don’t expect you to say “fine”.

Generally, of course, that is exactly what is expected. “Fine” or, “alright” or, “no bad” or “great”. “Brand new” is a favourite of mine, “tired”, “knackered” and “hungover” are all acceptable. “Verging on suicidal” or “praising the Lord for every minute of my fabulous life” are less so.

So, one question, and chances are you’re lying already. Tut tut.

What about these:

“Have you done your reading?”

“Do you like this hat/scarf//jumper/dress/necklace/random item of clothing?”

“What age are you?”

“When are you going to do those dishes?”

“Will you be staying in this weekend to work?”

“Are they more attractive than me?”

“Do you think I’m paranoid/over-sensitive/aggressive/a push-over/too short/too fat/too tall/too loud/clever/stupid/irrational/insane/in style?”

“Are you annoyed at me? Upset with me? Not talking to me?” And the dreaded “what are you thinking?” Generally restricted to couples.

See? You big fibbers you! We all know it just makes life that little bit easier, no harm, no foul.

Some people would disagree with that latter bit. Yup, the no harm, no foul bit. Immanuel Kant’s ethical law is so strict about having absolute principles, I.e. lying is wrong, that even if a murder asked you where their would-be victim was you should tell them. Otherwise you would be lying, which is WRONG. No matter what the fecking murdering dude is up to. Madness!

Anyway, if we’ve got to lie, and I think I’ve demonstrated it is an absolute necessity, then we might as well do it right.

 So. The Rules:

• Blink. Yes, blink. Liars tend to blink less than the honest folks.
• Watch you don’t pause for too long as naughty fibbers are prone to do.
• Use your hands. (That’s good advice generally). When people are telling the truth they tend to move their hands and arms about to make their point more.
• Throw in a few details. Because of the need to remember what they’ve said and not contradict themselves liars tend to keep it simple. Go wild!
• Don’t get squeaky. Those who are avoiding the truth often get a little on the high-pitched side. Think Garbo and gravel people.
• Don’t fidget, or self-groom. Ditto gaze aversion. None of these are real ‘tells’ when it comes to lying. People tend to move less when they’re lying and avoiding someone’s eye also has nowt to do with fibbing. However. Studies tell us people think they do. So don’t do them!
• Exude confidence darling! Expressive people are always judged as being more honest. Their spontaneity comes across as natural and believable and makes them more credible then the self-conscious and uncertain speaker.

 But don’t worry about it too much; apparently people aren’t actually very good at spotting liars anyway. On average studies show people only detect lies 55 per cent of the time. Of course, you could just tell the truth. What the hey! I don’t care! I’m fine! How are you?

How to… survive a snowstorm

Okay, so despite the fact that we all love to bitch the weather, north and south of the border, it really isn’t likely we’re going to find ourselves in the midst of a snowstorm in Great Britannia. It may be dreek and dreary, wet and windy and generally unpleasant, but in the great age of global warming we’re lucky if it snows a handful of times a year.

Still, and here is the ultimate point, it could happen. And please, please, please don’t tell me you’re all going to stay here for the rest of your lives. There is a huge and exciting world out there people, and some of it is cold. C.O.L.D. Cold. Like, some of it is freezing man. And I don’t want you to fear it. I want you to be prepared.

And being prepared is the first rule of surviving snowstorms.

Think clothing, lots of it, wear layers and have more to hand.

Make sure you have food and water on you, once snowed in; the chances of nipping to Tescos for some Pot Noodle are slim.

Have a mobile phone. Nuff said.

Something to signal your position is a good idea. I’ve read suggestions ranging from a red handkerchief to a sign that says help but anything to mark where you are is going to increase your chances of survival.

Keep an eye on those extremities, or in English, yer hands and feet. When cold it’s a normal response for the body divert blood away from those areas – if they get too cold frost nip could set in. Now that might sound like the cuter younger brother of frostbite and that’s exactly what it is, without the cute factor. The skin will lose sensation and colour and before you know it; frostbite. Dum dum dum. That’s bad people. Now we’re looking at the skin and tissue actually freezing, if the muscles are affected that’s when you really need to worry, body parts are beginning to lose the will to live, and if you do survive you will probably do so minus some toes and fingers.

Find a mate. No, not like that. Jeez, the youth of today. Having another person around will not only help raise your body heat (again, I’m talking non sexually here) but you can also keep an eye on each other, watching for signs of frostbite or hypothermia.

Be female. This is not as simple as it sounds. Not for those with that naughty Y chromosome anyway. Still if you are a member of the fairer sex it’s time to feel quietly confident, you’re more likely to survive extreme cold! Bet that’s made your week. It’s all to do with women keeping more heat at their core, something vital in surviving freezing temperatures. And, this may be less welcome news; ladies usually have more subcutaneous fat, which helps keep us warm.

Shiver. Okay, this’ll just happen automatically but it’s a good thing. Shivering is the body’s attempt to increase body heat, and it’s pretty efficient; it can up heat production five-fold.

Find shelter. This is a big one. If a house/car/cave isn’t nearby you’re going to have to dig yourself in. Don’t go overboard here; a small hole you can fit yourself in is best.  Yes you’ll still be cold but getting out of the wind is the most important element here. If you’re wrapped up warm in -29°C you’ll be in little danger, but if a light 10mph wind is blowing the temperature will more like -44°C, and in cold like that flesh can freeze in a minute, knock that wind up to 25mph and it’ll be seconds.

So, there you are, if I hear about any Napier students freezing to death in Alaska, I can safely say; it ain’t my fault.

My Cafe reviews – found in the List Eating and Drinking Guide 2008

Here are my fabulous reviews of city cafes, all well worth a look! 

Cafe Marina on Cockburn Street – the best affordable Italian in the city!

Cafe Truva on the Shore -  Turkish delight found a little off the beaten track.

Cornerstone Cafe on Lothian Road – cheap and cheerful fun with chickpeas.

The Fair Trade Coffee Shop down Leith Walk – bagels and breakfast with free internet thrown in.

Forest on Bristo Place – Fabulous falafels despite the disappointing lack of vegetation.

Glass and Thompson on Dundas Street – Classy but lacking in pretension with scrummy deli style goodness.

Jasper’s Coffee and Juice Bar on Grove Street – JUICE JUICE JUICE!

S Luca on Morningside Road – sausages, chips and ice cream, practically perfect for the bairns.

The Manna House on Easter Road – it’s all in the name, one dictionary defines it as “divine or spirtual food”.

Maxi’s on Raeburn Place – a Stockbridge institution particularly favoured by the rather old and the fairly young (accompanied by their mas).

Metropole on Newington Road – cosy as an old slipper, while it has nothing truly exciting about it everyone can find comfort there. 

Simple Feast on Howe Street – something for every harried office worker looking for a takeaway, and a nice place for to take a load off for those with a little more time.

Spoon on Blackfriars Street – A totally original outlet, fresh local produce cooked with flair, go on, get ye there!

Two Thin Laddies on High Riggs – A grand place often overlooked, gorgeous hot lunches and according to some, the best cheese scones in the city.

The Zulu Lounge on Morningside Road – Teeny tiny but bright as a button and everything is scrum-diddly-umptious!

Coming in April 2009: The newest issue of the List Eating and Drinking Guide, yes, I shall be spending February and March enjoying the best food on offer in the city’s bars and pubs.

CV

My name is Sarah Hunter-Argyle, I am a journalist, and I am currently working as a communications advisor at a agrochemical company and freelancing for the List Eating and Drinking Guide.

CV

List Eating and Drinking Guide

Reviewer – writing restaurant reviews as well as section introductions.

January 2007 – PRESENT

 Syngenta

Communications Advisor

Duties:

Responsible for the off-site newsletter, sent around the world. Source and write stories, design and layout.

Responsible for writing intranet stories, both local and national.

Submitting stories to national Syngenta magazine – Synthesis.

Making short films for Syngenta conferences.

July 2008 – PRESENT

impulse

Editor

Duties:

Writing features and interviews

Deciding on input, and editing contributor articles

Liasing with production, features and advertising

Sourcing images

Deciding on content of magazine, audience, angles, etc

General subbing

February – June 2008

Clocks Magazine

Freelance Editorial Assistant

Duties: 

Writing news stories and book reviews

Editing and subbing

Design and layout

November 2003 – September 2006