There is a little black book on the kitchen table. Neatly annotated in places, virtually illegible in others, it is the latest in a long line of tissue-thin pages containing the hand-written details of everything I eat. This is not one of the kitchen chronicles where I write down recipe workings and shopping lists, ideas and wishlists, but a daily diary of everything that ends up on my plate. If I have yoghurt, blackcurrant compote and pumpkin seeds at breakfast, it will be in that little book. Likewise, a lunch of green lentils and grilled red peppers, or a dinner of roast cauliflower and a bowl of miso soup. Each bowl of soup, plate of pasta and every mushroom on toast is faithfully logged. I don’t know exactly why or when I started noting down my dinner, but these little books are now filled in out of habit as much as anything else. The notes are often made at night, just before I lock up and go to bed. I suspect my little black books will be buried with me.
I occasionally look back at what I have written, often as I change one journal for the next. One of the points that interests me, and perhaps this is the main reason I have kept the daily ritual going for so long, is that I can follow how my eating has changed, albeit gradually, over the years. There are, of course, unshakable edibles, (I seem to have started and ended each day’s eating with a bowl of yoghurt for as long as I can remember), but I also find marked changes in what I cook and eat. The most notable is the quantity – I definitely eat less than I used to – and there is a conspicuous move towards lighter dishes, particularly in spring and summer.
But here’s another thing. Despite being resolutely omnivorous, it is clear how much of my everyday eating has become plant-based. Although not strictly vegetarian (the bottom line for me will always be that my dinner is delicious, not something that must adhere to a set of strict dietary rules), much of my weekday eating contains neither meat nor fish. I am not sure this was a particularly considered choice. It is simply the way my eating has grown to be over the past few years. I do know, however, that I am not alone in this.
Greenfeast, like Eat before it, is a collection of what I eat when I finish work every day: the casual yet spirited meals with which I sustain myself and whoever else is around. The recipes are, like those in previous collections, more for inspiration than rules to be adhered to slavishly, word for word. But unlike Eat, this collection offers no meat or fish. The idea of collecting these recipes together is for those like-minded eaters who find themselves wanting inspiration for a supper that owes more to plants than animals.
How I eat
I rarely hand someone a plate full of food. More hospitable and more fun, I think, is a table that has a selection of bowls and dishes of food to which people can help themselves. And by that I mean dinner for two or three as much as for a group of family or friends. That way, the table comes to life, food is offered or passed round, a dish is shared, the meal is instantly more joyful.
In summer, there will be a couple of light, easily prepared principal dishes. Alongside those will be some sort of accompaniment. There may be wedges of toasted sourdough, glossy with olive oil and flakes of sea salt. Noodles that I have cooked, often by simply pouring boiling water over them, then tossed in toasted sesame oil and coriander leaves, or an all-singing and dancing Korean chilli paste.
A dish of red pepper soup might sit alongside a plate of fried aubergines and feta. Crisp pea croquettes may well be placed on the table with a tomato and french bean salad. South-east Asian noodles might be eaten with roast spring vegetables and peanut sauce, and a mild dish of creamed and grilled cauliflower could turn up with a spiced tomato couscous. Two dishes, often three, are very much the norm at home. I find the thought of being able to dip into several dishes uplifting in comparison to a single plate piled high. The recipes throughout the book are light. They are meant to be mixed and matched as you wish. A table with several bowls of unfussy food to please and delight, and, ultimately, gently sustain.
A note on the recipes: though all are plant-based, the recipes are not strictly vegetarian. They can, however, be rendered suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets with a bit of informed tweaking.
In a bowl
I am a collector of bowls. Bowls for soup and porridge, bowls for rice and pasta, bowls for pudding. I enjoy choosing which will be most appropriate for my dinner, deep or shallow, with a rim or without, earthenware, lacquer or wood. There is nothing precious about this, I simply feel food tastes better when you eat it from something that flatters the contents.
When I moved to London 40 years ago, I bought a couple of thick, heavy, white Pillivuyt soup bowls. I have them to this day. They were my only tableware for many years, long before I bought plates or shallow dishes. They are used daily, no longer to eat from, but for beating eggs or blending a dressing. There is always at least one sitting in the fridge, a saucer for a hat, keeping a little treasure safe for another day.
The holding of a bowl – more like cradling really – comforts us. But it is important how the bowl feels in the hand. Too rough and it can grate on the nerves, like nails down a blackboard or teeth on a pear drop. Too smooth and your soup feels refined and cold-hearted. What I appreciate most is the humble quality of a bowl and the food you put in it. Even the most exquisitely formed recipe is brought down a peg or two when served in an earthenware dish. The food jumbles unaffectedly in the hollow, the deep sides capture the scent of the food, increasing the enjoyment of every mouthful.
I have a certain reverence for food served in a bowl that I don’t when it is served on a plate. I am not sure why this should be, I only know that it is. I love the way the dressing, sauce or juices sit in the base, to be spooned up as a final treat, which is why so many of the dishes throughout these books are presented the way they are. It is my preferred way to eat.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Friday, January 18, 2019
We've Got Some Books for You
The “Game of Thrones” finale, which aired on Sunday, marks the end of a Twitter era. For those already feeling nostalgic, consider reading the books that the HBO show is based on — or plunge into a new epic world with one of these seven other series.
Broken Earth Trilogy, by N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin “burst on the epic fantasy scene with her earlier Inheritance trilogy,” our reviewer wrote about the last installment in this series, “and has pretty well conquered it with Broken Earth.” She won the Hugo Award for best novel for each of the books. Start with “The Fifth Season,” which begins at the end of the world and follows a woman as she tries to recover her kidnapped daughter.
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
There are nine novels in this time-bending series about Jamie Fraser, an 18th-century Scotsman, and Claire Randall, a World War II-era nurse, whose worlds collide when Claire is transported back in time. The Outlander series — which starts with a namesake title, “Outlander” — was made into a television show on Starz.
The Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett
The six historical romance novels that make up this series are “vivid, engaging, densely potted,” one critic wrote in 2000 (sound familiar?). The books follow Francis Crawford of Lymond, “the perfect romantic hero,” and its events unfold during the 11 years from the Scottish border wars of 1547 to the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1558.
The Earthsea Cycle, by Ursula K. LeGuin
Set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea, this series follows a child named Ged through his journey to become a wizard. LeGuin has an “intricate imagination,” our reviewer wrote, adding that in the first book, “A Wizard of Earthsea,” the “attention to physical detail effectively and exactly” represents “young Ged’s reactions to the strange world about him.”
New Crobuzon, by China Miéville
This series, which starts with “Perdido Street Station,” is set in the fictional world of Bas-Lag, in a complex city, New Crobuzon, inhabited by a broad range of human and nonhuman characters. In a review on the website Tor, one critic recommended several readings: “The first time, you read it as a travelogue of New Crobuzon,” she wrote, as Miéville dips in and out of multiple perspectives. After, “you reread it for the pleasurable intricacy of Bas-Lag’s cultural and economic substructures and to appreciate the inventive strangeness of the social details — languages, clothing, cultural artifacts and the like — that you zipped past the first time.”
Temeraire, by Naomi Novik
These nine novels reimagine the events of the Napoleonic Wars. The story starts when, while serving in the British Navy, Capt. Will Laurence finds a dragon egg in a captured French warship. He becomes the dragon’s master, and his discovery will alter the course of history. In a review in The Washington Post, one writer called the first book, “Her Majesty’s Dragon,” the “most original of dragon books” and wrote that it contains a “generous dollop of intelligent derring-do.”
The Accursed Kings, by Maurice Druon
These seven historical novels follow the Iron King, Philip the Fair, as he attempts to rule his kingdom and his family. “Believe me, the Starks and Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets,” George R. R. Martin himself wrote about the series in The Guardian. “It is the original game of thrones.”
A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin
Or you could just dive right back into Westeros and read “A Game of Thrones,” the first in Martin’s yet uncompleted series about the epic fight for the Iron Throne. In an interview with The Times from 2005, Martin described how he conceived of the series: One day, an image came to him of a man who was taking a boy to witness a beheading. They find a dead direwolf who has just given birth to a litter and decide to rescue them. This became the opening scene in “A Game of Thrones.” “To this day I don’t know where it came from,” Martin said. “But I knew that I had to write it.”
Broken Earth Trilogy, by N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin “burst on the epic fantasy scene with her earlier Inheritance trilogy,” our reviewer wrote about the last installment in this series, “and has pretty well conquered it with Broken Earth.” She won the Hugo Award for best novel for each of the books. Start with “The Fifth Season,” which begins at the end of the world and follows a woman as she tries to recover her kidnapped daughter.
Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
There are nine novels in this time-bending series about Jamie Fraser, an 18th-century Scotsman, and Claire Randall, a World War II-era nurse, whose worlds collide when Claire is transported back in time. The Outlander series — which starts with a namesake title, “Outlander” — was made into a television show on Starz.
The Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett
The six historical romance novels that make up this series are “vivid, engaging, densely potted,” one critic wrote in 2000 (sound familiar?). The books follow Francis Crawford of Lymond, “the perfect romantic hero,” and its events unfold during the 11 years from the Scottish border wars of 1547 to the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1558.
The Earthsea Cycle, by Ursula K. LeGuin
Set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea, this series follows a child named Ged through his journey to become a wizard. LeGuin has an “intricate imagination,” our reviewer wrote, adding that in the first book, “A Wizard of Earthsea,” the “attention to physical detail effectively and exactly” represents “young Ged’s reactions to the strange world about him.”
New Crobuzon, by China Miéville
This series, which starts with “Perdido Street Station,” is set in the fictional world of Bas-Lag, in a complex city, New Crobuzon, inhabited by a broad range of human and nonhuman characters. In a review on the website Tor, one critic recommended several readings: “The first time, you read it as a travelogue of New Crobuzon,” she wrote, as Miéville dips in and out of multiple perspectives. After, “you reread it for the pleasurable intricacy of Bas-Lag’s cultural and economic substructures and to appreciate the inventive strangeness of the social details — languages, clothing, cultural artifacts and the like — that you zipped past the first time.”
Temeraire, by Naomi Novik
These nine novels reimagine the events of the Napoleonic Wars. The story starts when, while serving in the British Navy, Capt. Will Laurence finds a dragon egg in a captured French warship. He becomes the dragon’s master, and his discovery will alter the course of history. In a review in The Washington Post, one writer called the first book, “Her Majesty’s Dragon,” the “most original of dragon books” and wrote that it contains a “generous dollop of intelligent derring-do.”
The Accursed Kings, by Maurice Druon
These seven historical novels follow the Iron King, Philip the Fair, as he attempts to rule his kingdom and his family. “Believe me, the Starks and Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets,” George R. R. Martin himself wrote about the series in The Guardian. “It is the original game of thrones.”
A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin
Or you could just dive right back into Westeros and read “A Game of Thrones,” the first in Martin’s yet uncompleted series about the epic fight for the Iron Throne. In an interview with The Times from 2005, Martin described how he conceived of the series: One day, an image came to him of a man who was taking a boy to witness a beheading. They find a dead direwolf who has just given birth to a litter and decide to rescue them. This became the opening scene in “A Game of Thrones.” “To this day I don’t know where it came from,” Martin said. “But I knew that I had to write it.”
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Getting Thicker Lashes At Home Just Got Way Easier
The no-makeup makeup look isn't going anywhere anytime soon (thanks, Glossier!), which might help to explain why lash serums are becoming a regular step in multi-step beauty routines. These little vials of liquid promise to give you longer and thicker lashes — minus the mascara clumps, expensive lash-extension sessions, and hassle of falsies.
According to Lauren Bilon, founder of Calgary-based Plume Cosmetics Inc., you can see results within a few weeks if you use serums properly. Many serums use ingredients you might find in products that help strengthen the hair on your head, such as vitamin E or vitamin B5, which work to nourish and condition the hairs. These ingredients have the same effect on brows, giving lash serums like Plume's a dual purpose.
The catch? It's important to stay consistent. "You have to be committed to the process for at least a month or two, every day," Bilon says. "And, you need to stay on the program. If you use the product for a few months, achieve great results, and then stop, you'll eventually end up back where you started."
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Wedding cake, flowers and electricity
"Who is your electric provider?" they shouted. "Are you happy with them?"
The electricity market in Houston is deregulated and electric utility providers like NRG Energy-owned Green Mountain Energy are in a constant scramble for new customers and hanging on to their existing ones. Energy retailers spend as much as $250 to sign up new customers when the cost of marketing and enrollment are figured in. NRG Energy has the largest share of the retail electricity business in Texas and also owns Reliant Energy, Cirro Energy and Pennywise Power.
Many of the visitors sailed past the Green Mountain booth on their way to the cake samples up the aisle but a few lingered long enough to shout out their current provider or pick up a brochure. Others shrugged their shoulders because either they don't know their provider or they don't care. Only about 16 percent of customers in the CenterPoint service area - the utility that serves the Houston area - switched electricity providers last year. But enough must be stopping and signing up because the personal sales technique is still an important way electricity is sold in the deregulated parts of Texas.
For years, Green Mountain Energy and other retail electric providers have set up tents at grocery stores, big box stores and festivals to promote their electricity plans to shoppers and fun seekers. The bridal show is one of those events when shoppers might have electricity on their minds, said Green Mountain spokeswoman Alex Angelina.
Many couples attending the show are planning new homes together, she said, and with any move, picking out an electricity plan is part of the process.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Japanese beauty products you need if you call yourself a beauty addict
For a while, Japanese beauty was shunned from the spotlight as the world became obsessed with Korean beauty. It seemed that our love-affair with K-beauty would never end, but Japanese beauty is set to become popular once again in 2018.
The truth is that Japan has exported some of the very best cleanser, lotions and best face serum that the whole world has to offer. In fact Japan's best-selling brand, Decorté, invented the world's first face serum; their Liposome Moisture formula is still the number one selling serum today.
Much of the obsession with perfect-looking skin comes from the geisha community. Japanese-inspired brand Tatcha's founder, Vicky Tsai, spent close time with geishas, who take skincare incredibly seriously – any flaws show up easily under their theatrical, brilliant white make-up.
'Underneath their iconic white make-up is the most breathtakingly pure skin I had ever seen in my life,' she writes in a blog post. 'I have met trainee geisha as young as 19 and senior geisha as old as 70, but regardless of age they all share the same exquisite complexion.'
So how can you get some of that flawlessly soft, baby-skin complexion for yourself?
Keep scrolling to learn about 10 of the best Japanese beauty products you can get your hands on in the UK, from fragrance to skincare.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
Japanese skincare and lotions go hand in hand, and SK-II's is possibly the most famous out there. Cate Blanchett constantly raves about the Pitera-rich essence, which clears and refine's the skin's appearance and texture over time for a “crystal clear” look.
Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder
Inspired by the Geisha ritual of gentle cleansing and exfoliation using rice water, Tatcha's rice powder exfoliates super gently every day for that smooth, 'baby skin' look.
Decorté Liposome Serum
This one is Japan's best-selling serum, and it's a hydrating dream. Dehydrated and unhappy skin's thirst is quenched almost instantly, with tiny capsules that absorb into the deepest layers of the skin, and slow time-release technology keeping its moisture levels topped up throughout the day.
Kosé Medicated Sekkisei
Licorice is a big name in Japanese beauty when it comes to trusted ingredients, as it calms and detoxifies the skin while brightening the complexion. Kosé's medicated lotion is full of the stuff, and improves radiance and skin texture over time.
Fairydrops Quattro Mascara
Fairy Drops was born when Japanese celebrity, Aya Yasude, customised her own mascara brush. Struggling to find a mascara that was just right for her TV appearances, she took a pair of scissors to a mascrara wand and cut away until she was left with a brush that made her eyes pop. The distinct 'bobble' wand is the perfect companion for the jet-black, water-resistant formula that leaves lashes big, bold and camera-ready.
Much of the obsession with perfect-looking skin comes from the geisha community. Japanese-inspired brand Tatcha's founder, Vicky Tsai, spent close time with geishas, who take skincare incredibly seriously – any flaws show up easily under their theatrical, brilliant white make-up.
'Underneath their iconic white make-up is the most breathtakingly pure skin I had ever seen in my life,' she writes in a blog post. 'I have met trainee geisha as young as 19 and senior geisha as old as 70, but regardless of age they all share the same exquisite complexion.'
So how can you get some of that flawlessly soft, baby-skin complexion for yourself?
Keep scrolling to learn about 10 of the best Japanese beauty products you can get your hands on in the UK, from fragrance to skincare.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence
Japanese skincare and lotions go hand in hand, and SK-II's is possibly the most famous out there. Cate Blanchett constantly raves about the Pitera-rich essence, which clears and refine's the skin's appearance and texture over time for a “crystal clear” look.
Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder
Inspired by the Geisha ritual of gentle cleansing and exfoliation using rice water, Tatcha's rice powder exfoliates super gently every day for that smooth, 'baby skin' look.
Decorté Liposome Serum
This one is Japan's best-selling serum, and it's a hydrating dream. Dehydrated and unhappy skin's thirst is quenched almost instantly, with tiny capsules that absorb into the deepest layers of the skin, and slow time-release technology keeping its moisture levels topped up throughout the day.
Kosé Medicated Sekkisei
Licorice is a big name in Japanese beauty when it comes to trusted ingredients, as it calms and detoxifies the skin while brightening the complexion. Kosé's medicated lotion is full of the stuff, and improves radiance and skin texture over time.
Fairydrops Quattro Mascara
Fairy Drops was born when Japanese celebrity, Aya Yasude, customised her own mascara brush. Struggling to find a mascara that was just right for her TV appearances, she took a pair of scissors to a mascrara wand and cut away until she was left with a brush that made her eyes pop. The distinct 'bobble' wand is the perfect companion for the jet-black, water-resistant formula that leaves lashes big, bold and camera-ready.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Learn How One Entrepreneur Transforms The Color Of Our Lips
With New York Fashion week upon us, it’s only inevitable that many women will be focused on fashion, beauty trends, makeup, and skincare products. If you’re not in the industry, often there is little thought behind the story of a brand. As women, we often choose our beauty products based on packaging, word of mouth, comfortability, or need.
The Lip Bar, a non–toxic, vegan and cruelty free line of colorful lipsticks, was born out of New York City by Founder and CEO Melissa Butler. Melissa had a career in finance, before making the leap to launch her lipstick line. A few years in as an entrepreneur, Melissa was featured on Shark Tank where the sharks challenged her business model.
According to a recent article in Forbes, “the $445 billion beauty industry has become a gold mind for self-made women,” and this self-made woman is carving a slice out of the beauty industry at the right time. Melissa has grown her revenue to nearly half a million dollars, while maintaining a brand fueled by a corporate, socially responsible culture.
Melissa has an untraditional story that led her to create a market in the beauty industry, without formal background in this industry.
I sat down with Melissa to hear more about her journey from finance to the beauty, lessons learned along the way, and advice she would give to other women entrepreneurs.
Lauren Wesley Wilson: When and why was The Lip Bar created?
Melissa Butler: In 2012, I was working on Wall Street. I was completely unfulfilled, unsatisfied, un-everything. I decided that instead of complaining about it I’d change my path.
I’ve always loved lipstick. Lipstick is feminine and powerful and with one stroke, it can completely transform your mood. I was also looking for lipstick products that weren’t chemically laden. I noticed that it was easier to find natural hair and skin care alternatives, but the assortment of natural lip colors were frankly just boring.
Monday, January 15, 2018
The Truth About the Korean Beauty Routine
It’s no real surprise that when it comes to talking beauty, the conversation almost always lands on some exotic, nay, crazy concoction that has made its way from the East. You know those snail-infused sleep masks you’re obsessed with? Or that oil cleanser you use every AM and PM? Or the brightening serum responsible for your glow? All Asian imports. You gotta admit, when it comes to skin care, they’re onto something.
Sure, it’s likely due to the fact that they’ve been up to it since, oh, let’s say 700 BCE, and have been busy passing down their techniques since then. While the likelihood that our brains could compute centuries’ worth of skin-care data is, well, questionable, it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to try (big emphasis on try here, guys).
If you haven’t gleaned over countless multi-step K-beauty articles by now (we’re going to ignore the fact that you’ve been living under a rock), here’s the gist of it all: Getting porcelain-like skin is all about cleansing (twice to be thorough), hyper-targeting skin issues (that’s where most of the steps lie), and protection (SPF; duh). We might be simplifying a bit, but we’re trying to ease you into it, OK?
What we’ve learned is that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all type deal, nor is it that difficult. To help you (and us) mine the hotbed of info, we went to the experts to tell us why it’s actually worth your time and money (just think about how much you’ll save on concealer).
Sure, it’s likely due to the fact that they’ve been up to it since, oh, let’s say 700 BCE, and have been busy passing down their techniques since then. While the likelihood that our brains could compute centuries’ worth of skin-care data is, well, questionable, it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to try (big emphasis on try here, guys).
If you haven’t gleaned over countless multi-step K-beauty articles by now (we’re going to ignore the fact that you’ve been living under a rock), here’s the gist of it all: Getting porcelain-like skin is all about cleansing (twice to be thorough), hyper-targeting skin issues (that’s where most of the steps lie), and protection (SPF; duh). We might be simplifying a bit, but we’re trying to ease you into it, OK?
What we’ve learned is that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all type deal, nor is it that difficult. To help you (and us) mine the hotbed of info, we went to the experts to tell us why it’s actually worth your time and money (just think about how much you’ll save on concealer).
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