Magical May Day

The magical maypole glimmering in the sunshine

“Summer is acome unto day”

For a lot of people stumbling upon the goings on in Padstow on the first of May, having never witnessed it before, they might find themselves running back to the car park as quickly as possible and getting the hell out of there. For me and my sister however it feels like the most natural thing ever but that’s because of our slightly alternative upbringing. Whilst my friends were packing their bikinis and getting on their Thompson planes to enjoy self-catering with a shared pool in Majorca, the Greenwood family were in Austria walking through the mountains a lá The Von Trapps,

41 at The River Cafe

Carlos!

Exactly a year ago I was driving home from Stansted having flown back from Ibiza the morning after the best day of my life and a long lunch at one of the happiest places in the world, The Blue Marlin.

My birthday lunch last year involved 9 hours; a white sandy beach; 1 fabulous handsome and charming waiter, Carlos; 5 luscious women; a single petrified geezer; several magnums of Provence Rose and ice-cold Albarino and an obscene quantity of the most delicious strawberry cocktails.

We’re Cruising! Dukan Part 2

New season’s asparagus from down the road with ‘Dukan Hollandaise’!

Ok so I’m nearly 5 weeks in now and the attack stage certainly fulfilled all its promises. I weigh over a stone less (actually 17 and a half pounds less) than I did at the start and my work trousers no longer dig in so badly that I lose feeling in my midriff, or get munched up my butt in such a highly embarrassing way. I don’t even have to grimace to get them done up.

The Magdalen Arms

Brilliant. Thank Christ. Finally! Ladies and Gents after years of suffering the mainstream, chainy, below-average culinary desert that, inexplicably, has been Oxford’s food scene for a good long time with few exceptions, there is now somewhere to go for delicious, original, gorgeous tasty cooking and a menu that makes you want to order everything on it.

Spring Lamb

Aw de cute liddle lammykins. Yum yum come to mummy!

Spring Lamb!

Obviously with all my dieting shenanigans of late, lamb is off the menu for me for a little longer at least. Instead I am getting my fix by taking my 20 minute daily ‘dukan dawdle’ (as I have fondly named it) through the fields next to my house, currently home to one of the scruffiest herds of sheep you’ve ever seen. They’re black and white, covered in mud and always completely bedraggled, but still so cute.

Dabbous Round Two!

Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky me, me, me! I got to go to Dabbous again yesterday for my second visit and sample the new menu - its first major change since doors opened in January, and blimey, it was even better. So I won’t go into any history or detail, if you want the background read ‘Woohoo Dabbous!’my original post, but here I will just update you with pictures and descriptions of the new dishes tried yesterday.

Attack, Attack! Dukan Part One.

My 'Dukan friendly' Easter eggs!

So far there have only been a couple of shortish periods in my life when I’ve not been what my sister generously refers to as ‘bountiful’! I’m basically a greedy glutton and that particular gene considerably overrules the few I possess in the vanity department. I like to try to look nice of course, but not as much as I like butter, or potatoes, or crispy fried squid, or seared rib-eye dripping in lustrous béarnaise sauce. Or toast. Or cheese on toast. Or cheese. You get the picture.

Sunshine on the Righteous

Harlyn Bay at Sunset (in March!)

This was Sunday’s sunset. We’d taken a chance on a beach barbecue. Up until lunchtime the weather had been a mizzley whiteout for the previous 2-and-a-half days but I just had a feeling we were going to get lucky. Drumming up enthusiasm from the troops was admittedly tricky, but I am always outraged when I get even a hint of a notion that any of them are taking their fabulous Cornish lives for granted and remind them in no uncertain terms how lucky they are. With that in mind we knocked up a few salads, packed the steak, sausages, and as my sister said, “the effing kitchen sink”,

Skye Gyngell. What a Woman.

Skye's 'Dorset crab, fennel and radicchio' at Petersham Nurseries

It is nothing more than poetic coincidence that today, the day I feel compelled to write this post, is International Women’s Day.

Yesterday I learned, with genuine dismay, that one of my favourite chefs, at one of my all time favourite restaurants, recently decided to leave her position as head chef at Petersham Nurseries Cafe and now, with a heavy heart, I know that those few fabulous times I spent there will never be repeated. It is the end of an era. A short, but exceedingly sweet era.

Say Cheese! :)

Cheesy bacon rosti in the sunshine. Heaven.

So what did you give up for lent? Out of my mates their choices were generally of the culinary variety, however most of them are lazy and cunning and have no intention of depriving themselves whatsoever. For example Mark chose offal. I mean offal for Gods sake! For Jane it was Mars Bars (only Mars Bars, not any other type of confectionary). Ruby decided on chocolate but accidentally had a nutella sandwich for breakfast on Ash Wednesday. My sis went for alcohol, but only on Mondays to Thursdays (not sure that’s quite in the spirit of things – no pun intended) and, DUH, has already failed. I went for sugar, which I did ok at last year, but forgot and ate both jam and an apricot croissant during the first day. I’m back on it now though and fairly determined - I have a mainly savoury tooth so there’s a small chance of success as long as I can get my befuddled brain to remember.