Foodie blogbuddies and more

When I started this blog 2.5 years ago I had no idea that it would lead me to meet such nice people.

After months of reading their amusing musings, last weekend I finally got to meet fellow Madrid bloggers, Aaron of A year in the mierda, and Deb of ComoSolo. We had arranged to meet at the Bristol Bar - think English gentleman’s club (not that I’ve ever been in one); G&Ts, red velvet, bangers and mash and photos of none other than Queen Victoria – but alas, Madrid being Madrid and having wayward and unexplained opening times, it was closed. So we went for a drink elsewhere, then Deb had the fantastic idea of taking us to try what is probably the best pizza I’ve tried outside Italy. Pizza al Taglio (C/Barco 45) sells pizza by the slice, you can even choose what size slice you want. The dough is to die for – fine and crispy yet just a little chewy. The simple yet tasty toppings included parma ham and mozzarella, gorgonzola and pear, courgette and ricotta, wild mushrooms and tomato and cherry tomato and chilli. You can’t actually sit down to eat, but they have a deal going with a nearby bar where you can do so. Unfortunately this was closed, so Deb kindly invited us up to her lovely apartment for wine, music and a good laugh over certain compromising facebook photos. The staff are also charming and not entirely uneasy on the eye :p

And this weekend I had a wonderful sushi lesson with Vanessa, who I also met through the blog a few months back, and her friend Sally. We went shopping for salmon and tuna in the marvellous mercado de las maravillas (metro Alvarado) then back to Sally's for a fun day of rolling makis followed by eating them, washed down with champagne. Makes me think, writing a blog has been worth it, if only for the lovely people I've met :-)

Fish market - I couldn't help but put my finger in the shark's mouth

 Prep time

 Slicing the tuna and salmon

 Rolling the makis

Et voila!



A cheery song for back to school

I've been back at work for a couple for weeks now and the dreaded sindrome post vacacional so common in Spain as we tend to get THE WHOLE MONTH OF AUGUST OFF seems to be lifting a little :-) Although I left school more years ago than I care to remember, September for me is still when the 'real year' begins rather than January, and is a good opportunity to sneakily start working on those dreaded New Year's resolutions and get a little head start. Anyway, thought I'd share my cheery mood with this song I like from Florence and the Machine. And yes indeed, for now at least, it would seem like the dog days are over.

Autumnal inspiration

I know it’s a bit early for this, but as I seem to be in such a hibernating sort of mood this September, I thought I’d do a post to provide a bit of autumnal inspiration. In this old post from Apartment Therapy they talk about the best autumn rituals; the readers mention cosy socks and a good book curled up on the sofa, hot bubble baths (I’m so mad that my apartment only has a shower), drinking cocoa and snuggling up with kittens, pumpkin pie scented candles and more.

And here are a few things which might be catching my fancy as October comes in :-)

Autumnal jewellery, like this delicate leaf necklace from Etsy seller BeadinBabe, made from a real leaf plated in silver.

Another thing on my mind is the prospect of taking up knitting again, bored of making scarves but daunted by jumpers, how about a snuggly blanket for the sofa? I found the lovely free pattern pictured below on the Rowan wool site and wonder if I could manage it? By the way, if you want to buy wool in Madrid, try the wonderfully retro Lanas Gato Negro near Plaza Mayor where they sell wool by the hank rather than by ball!

Another thing I'm looking forward to is making bacon and butternut squash soup topped with a little yoghurt and parsley. I found this recipe years ago and have made it ever since. Delicous. The only thing that always puts me off is the painful task of peeling the squash. But my colleague R has recently informed me that there's not need to peel it at all. Did you know that? I certainly didn't. She says that if you chop it up then boil or roast it, the skin can easily be pulled off afterwards. What a good idea.

For a bit of autumnal decadence, I'm really taken with this gold Morroccan pouffe from Graham&Green. It's kind of pricey and I really wish that I'd picked one up in Marrakech earlier this year where they cost the equivalent of about 30 euros.

Regular readers of this blog may be familiar with my love of all things fragrant and the French brand L'Occitane. The other day I came accross this gorgeous smelling cinnamon scented candle which reminds me of autumn, baking and all things wholesome.

Well, that's enough autumn for today. It's late summer in Madrid and I guess I should go out and enjoy it. A glass of white wine on a terraza, hopefully followed by the latest offering from Woody Allen.

What are your favourite things about Autumn?