A puppy is not just for Christmas

Growing up in Zimbabwe my brothers and I were blessed with the luxury of spacious gardens and swimming pools in our backyards for most of our childhoods. These scenic landscapes were permanently furnished with a variety of canine companions. Completing secondary school in Switzerland, I only visited  Zimbabwe twice a year for holidays. Each time I returned however, there seemed to be a new addition to the family. My mother would guiltily say “Eva, we have a new puppy. Look how cute he is. Meet Henry.” /Chicco, Picasso, Paloma, Hugo, Da Vinci… the list was endless. Now that my parents live in a fifth floor apartment in Athens I thought the new-addition-to-our-family days were long gone. But crossing the threshold this Christmas I realised I was walking into a very familiar déjà vu. “Eva, meet Winston.”

Although I admit this one is very cute, I am not really a dog person. I’m not shy to say that I try to avoid the extra responsibility -cleaning up poop, going for walks at inconvenient hours, getting shoes repaired more often than they need to… But as long as my parents are willing to do this, I’m delighted to know they have some soft furry company.

Kuzina – Athens

Fig tart with pistacchio crust and walnuts

Unable to face the prospect of another ham or turkey sandwich my family headed to the centre of Athens today for lunch. I was introduced to a most exquisite restaurant near the Acropolis called Kuzina (which is meaning “kitchen” in Greek). The scarcity of empty tables spoke volumes and Michelin recommendations pinned up by the entrance were credible testimonials for the restaurant’s popularity.

The venue is relaxed and atmospheric, with a modern take on traditional Greek design. A young and not unnattractive DJ spins versatile tunes from behind the bar whilst the sharply dressed maitre d’ coordinates the rest of the show. The menu is fresh and inventive. Portions quite satisfactory. And presentation exceptional.

Crabcakes

Duck spring rolls

Spring rolls with lamb and aubergine

Spicy tuna with ginger and wasabi

Short ribs with wasabi mash

Now you see it, now you don't

And they had very cool dessert spoons

I did not order all of this for myself. There were four of us. The total bill came to 185 Euros including a 10% surcharge for the Christmas period. It was definitely worth it.

Check it out next time you’re in Athens. (The website is as impressive as the venue)
Kuzina: Adrianou 9, Thisio, 105 55
Tel: 210 3240133

Fashion Revolution

SHOWstudio: Fashion Revolution
Laden with goods from the Somerset House Super Christmas Market I dropped in on the Fashion exhibition for a little snoop about. It was quite impressively curated but overall rather disjointed as there wasn’t much of a continuous narrative. The most poignant part of the exhibition for me was an oversized statue of three Naomi Campbell figures. A touch screen surface on either side of the sculpture invited viewers to interact with the work and dress it up or down so to speak. Whatever we drew on the touchscreen would be projected onto Naomi’s curvy surfaces. It was quite amusing to stand and watch what people came up with.

Some of my favourite interpretations below… 

And on that note, I conclude with a quote from Ms Campbell herself “The worst was when my skirt fell down to my ankles, but I had on thick tights underneath.” Was that really the worst Naomi? I wonder if she knows that somewhere in London someone is writing the word “bottom” on a mannequin of her bottom.

Designed to confection

Fondant fancies  
Taking the design world by storm is intelligent creator and biscuit enthusiast  Robert Archard. His deliciously popular ceramic biscuits can now be found at Paperchase, Beyond the Valley, and currently at the Super Somerset House Christmas Market. I visited this weekend and left with a handful of naughty delights from Robert Archard’s stall.

A sweet tooth

Robert’s popular designs come in a range of confectionary classics – my favourites are the custard creams, pink wafers and bakewell tarts. Oh what the hell, let’s go crazy. I love them all. I’ve never been one to say no to sweet things. The adorable and exquisitely crafted hinged biscuits make perfect gifts. They serve as ideal little pill boxes, jewellery boxes or if you’re really cruel you could even lay them out on a tempting cake plate to trick a sweet-toothed grandma into thinking they’re edible! If you act fast you might be able to get your hands on a limited edition gold custard cream out just in time for Christmas.

To place an order visit Robert Archard’s website.
The Somerset House Super Christmas Market runs until 8pm on 22nd December. Entry is £2.00 which also grants you access to the SHOWstudio: Fashion Revolution exhibition.

Festive Fruits

Pomanders are ridiculously easy to make and they make the house smell delicious. In Victorian times they were used to mask odours; members of Royalty would tie them to their wrists so that they had something nice to sniff when traversing the smellier roads of the city. Not only are these easy to make and sweetly scented but they also make excellent moth-repellents.

What you need:
A bag or two of oranges
A toothpick, fork or needle to prick the fruit
A jar of whole cloves
Ground cinammon
All spice
Apparently you can also use orris root as a preservative but I have no idea where to find it. If you know where it can be bought then do write in to share your knowledge!
In the absence of orris root you can use a few drops of sandalwood oil, or just skip this part altogether
Ribbons to hang the pomanders

What you do:
The short version - Poke holes in the oranges and fill with cloves as you go along. Make designs, letters, words or just reckless patterns. The more cloves the better. Then mix all the spices and rippon root or sandalwood or lack thereof. Roll the clove-studded oranges in the powder and put in an airing cupboard to dry out or if you are really impatient just tie ribbons around them and present straight away. The pomanders will not last very long or smell as strong as the second version.

Long version for better results – Using masking tape, make a cross shape on the fruits – this will be the space for the ribbons you tie on at the end. Now very meticulously cover the remaining surface with cloves. They should be very close togather and you should make the holes quite big as the orange is going to shrink. Mix all the spices in a paper bag and “marinate” the orange inside. Leave in the bag and store in a cool, dry place like an airing cupboard for several weeks, occasionally rolling them in spices again. After several weeks the oranges will have dried out and make a hollow sound if you knock them. At this point you can shake off the excess spices, strip off the masking tape and decorate with ribbons. The sweet, spicy smells will be stronger and longer lasting. If they have been well made they should last for years. To revive the smells just add a few drops of clove oil and reroll in spices.

Etymology:
The word pomander comes from the French, pomme d’ambre, (apple of amber), a perfumed ball of fruit.

Decorating tips:
Modern pomanders look beautiful piled in a bowl as a centrepiece for a table, laid out in a row on the mantlepiece, or hung with bright ribbons from the Christmas tree or staircase.

Aromatic gift idea

In the name of all things sweet and scented I present to you a wonderful idea for a Christmas gift (be it for yourself or someone else). If aromatherapy and retail therapy had a baby, it would come in the form of these incredibly uplifting air freshener sticks. I was slightly suspicious about these things at first, as I am more of a scented candle enthusiast, but having tried and tested one in my own home I can totally vouch for them. The perfumed oil evaporates through the porous sticks making your house smell lovely and aromatic within just a few hours. Each bottle lasts for about six months.

Why you’ll love it:
Unlike candles these air freshener sticks are not a fire hazard. Unlike incense, they do not smell all smoky like a fortune teller’s boudoir or lapsang souchong tea. And unlike air freshener spray, this scent actually lasts. My favourite scents are Black Vanilla and White Jasmine.

Buy it:
ZARA HOME, £14.90

Mind the bump: Commuting etiquette

I have recently become very paranoid about pregnant commuters. It has come to my attention that Londoners have a terrible attitude towards pregnant women on the tube, in fact towards any fellow passengers. Everyone seems to be out fighting for themselves. People are self-absorbed and inconsiderate and on a relentless mission to get themselves a seat and tuck in to a trashy morning paper (or at least pretend to) so that they don’t have to make eye contact with anyone else. On a few occasions, I have seen unmistakably pregnant women have to stand for several stops before anyone offered them a seat. Chivalry is dead I tell you. Doesn’t matter whether you are a hot young blonde or an 85 year old pensioner with one leg, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a gracious young man who will willingly displace himself for the comfort of someone else.

You’re damned if you do, screwed if you don’t
So, what if you do suspect someone is pregnant and try to offer them a seat? Well, it can go horribly wrong. I think my paranoia began when I myself was offered a seat when I was not in fact pregnant. Maybe it was a sign that I had devoured one too many mince pies but I found myself thinking “Stupid stupid woman. Why would you make a point of giving someone your seat if you weren’t sure that she was pregnant. Do you not realise what you have done to my self-esteem?!” I spent the rest of the journey standing really really straight and sucking in my stomach. But then I was faced with a similar conundrum a few days later. I spotted a tired thirty-something year old lady with a bit of a belly but also a bit of muffin top. She could have been pregnant or just a bit chubby but I wanted to get up for her either way, she looked exhausted. The only problem was that there were several delinquent teenagers standing between myself and her. How could I offer her the seat discreetly without someone sliding in derriere-first? So, for the sake of simplicity, I just remained seated, the guilt of my actions eating me up until I disembarked. On another occasion, there was a definitely-pregnant woman standing right in front of a “priority seat” which was occupied by a younger catty-looking twenty-something year old girl. I couldn’t believe she didn’t get up for her. Again, I was a little too far away to offer my seat and just as I was about to just give in and make a fuss, the cat-girl got off. I expected preg-girl to plop herself down with relief but she just remained standing!! Inexplicable?! Imagine if I had gone through all that effort and made a fuss and then she had refused my seat?! That would have been even more embarrassing.

Baby on board
So, what has Transport for London done to try and alleviate all this awkwardness? They created a badge which says “Baby on board”. It can be difficult to tell if a woman is pregnant, especially in the early stages or in winter when everyone is wearing extra layers. The first few weeks are in fact the most trying when many women feel faint and nauseus. The conspicuous baby badge is supposed to diffuse awkward situations for all parties. However, a friend of mine recently debuted her badge and was rather humiliated when no one got up for her. Not only was she wearing this conspicuous badge but she still didn’t get a seat!

Mind the bump
This issue is quite frankly a bit of a minefield, blurring the boundaries of chivalry, etiquette and feminism! I can’t promise that it will always run smoothly, but for goodness sake, if you do spot a big bump, surrender your seat.

Baby on Board badges are available from the London Underground Customer Services Centre: 0845 330 9880

Now, let’s move onto those iRritating people who play their iPods too loud!

Seared tuna and Thai stirfry

This is a great dish if you’re feeling a bit under the weather. It has a real kick to it. All the ingredients are really clean and fresh and soothing. You can make the stirfry alone or the tuna alone or you can join it altogether. Another variation would be to make the stir fry and throw in diced beef or chicken.

 
What you need: (serves 2)
2 tuna steaks
1 tbspn sesame oil
1 tbspn olive oil
1 lime
two cloves of garlic
spring onion
handful of baby corn
a few clusters of broccoli
half a red pepper
1 stick of lemongrass
some grated ginger or ground ginger
handful of cashew nuts (optional)
1 cup of chopped coriander
1 tbspn soya sauce
1 tspn chilli, fresh or ground or both
1 packet straight-to-wok noodles

What you do:

First marinate the tuna steaks in the sesame oil, olive oil and juice of half a lime. Sprinkle with some chopped spring onions and put to one side. The acid from the limejuice will already start to cook the tuna. Now chop all the vegetables.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a wok and add the garlic and spring onions. Gradually add all the vegetables along with the ginger, cashews, lemongrass and a cup of water. Add soya sauce, chilli and the rest of the limejuice. As the vegetables soften, add the coriander and noodles to the wok of vegetables and stir.
Meanwhile, drizzle some of the tuna marinade onto a hot griddle pan and throw on the steaks. Turn over after a minute and leave for another minute or so until the outsides have taken colour but the middle is still slightly pink. Taste your stirfry to see if needs extra water or soya (it shouldn’t) and serve while hot.

The Last Days of Decadence

Last weekend I was out in Shoreditch celebrating the birthday of a fabulous friend… En route from bar to club we stumbled across a sweet sweet haven of tasteful music and jazzy outfits at The Last Days of Decadence. It was prohibition night, but nothing was stopping anyone from having an outrageously fun time. The ragtime was blairing, outfits were daring and drinks were aplenty.

So in true homage to 1920s chic, don your trilbys and flapper dresses, and get ready to be transported to another era. An era of Charleston-dancing, pearl-swinging, frolicking, flirting, frivolous decadence.

 

The Dirty Details

Venue: 145 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE

Buy tickets in advance: Advance tickets £7
Or at the door: Free before 8pm, £7 before 9.30pm and £9 thereafter
Email for concessions/cheap list: info@thelastdaysofdecadence.com

Join them on facebook for a full programme and photo album: LDOD facebook group

All I want for Christmas…

All I want for Christmas is…

Well, there are quite a few things I want. I am obviously not going to get them all. And as my mother used to say “I want doesn’t get”. But I thought I would put together this rough ensemble of covetable Christmas gifts to inspire you when making your wishlists or shopping for loved ones.

 

… Gloves
Nothing could be more indispensable in the middle of winter. I simply glove these ones from M&S. Leather with lining and detailed stitching. They come in a range of colours.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy them: M&S, £15

… an iPod dock
Everyone should have some music-playing device in their home. I have an ipod but no form of speakers. The last time I had some friends over for dinner our musical entertainment comprised of a tinny transistor waterproof radio blasting Heart FM which was far from ideal. So a compact little iPod doc would be ideal (if it had an alarm clock too I would be even happier.)

I scoped out the selection at Selfridges and wouldn’t recommend going there unless you want to splurge the real deal Apple systems. For more affordable options head to John Lewis or Amazon.

My favourites:
Small, gold and looks like lego! This is a little gem and certainly the cheapest option around. Might need to go up in price for good sound quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy it: John Lewis, £13

This looks really promising. It’s had decent reviews and seems to accommodate all iPod generations. It is always worth checking which iPods are supported.

 

 

 

 

Buy it: John Lewis, £29.95

And finally this one seems ideal. It’s compatible with all iPods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy it: John Lewis, £35

 

… New eyeliner
Eye make up should be replenished every so often and what better time to do that than at Christmas. Even if you don’t wear it often, it is always good to have a black eyeliner in your make up bag (you too boys – you never know when you’ll have to dress up as Jack Sparrow for a Pirates of the Carribean party). I hear Kohl eyeliner by Mac blurs the boundary between a clean fine line and a slightly smoky after effect.

 

 

Buy it: MAC, £12

… A Hearty LeCreuset dish
I heart this dish. It is beautiful, romantic and indestructible. The rectangular one would probably be more suitable for my needs but Amazon is doing an offer at the moment so you can get two for £35.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy it: Amazon, two for £35

 

 

… A Bicycle
It has been my intention for some time to acquire a bicycle. I have a few very virtuous colleagues who cycle to work and I would like to join their possie. My dream is to have a beautiful sit-up-and-beg bike, with a wicker basket (filled with sweet-smelling flowers of course). But this may not be the most practical option for everyone and I fear buying anything that will be overly coveted by my neighbour. Bike theft is not infrequent in London.

Top tips for buying:
Before you go shopping, check if your company participates in the cycle-to-work programme. This will allow you to buy a bike with all the bells and whistles and not have to pay the taxes (making it considerably cheaper).
Make sure you get insurance. This comes with the cycle-to-work package
A helmet is imperative
Mudguards too
Ask lots of questions and try before you buy!

My favourites:
Splurge: Perfect for a princess but a bit on the pricey side.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy it: Velorution, £465

Steal: Just as beautiful. Half the price. Might also be lighter and easier to move. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy it: Evans cycles, £279.99

 

Well, although this is my wishlist, I am sure there’s something good on there for you or someone you know, and let’s just hope that I don’t get 12 pairs of gloves for Christmas

 

Add a comment to let us know what’s on your wishlist…