A fallen star?

Slowly but surely, I have watched our neighbourhood’s Polish roots recede over the years and Staropolska is no exception. Closed down in March, it reopened under the much less exotic name of Bistro 299, under the same ownership but presumably with a different vision for the place. I want to like Bistro 299, I really … Read more

They say it takes a village to raise a child…

I say it takes a city to make a BLT from scratch… Earlier this summer, I read about Michael Ruhlman’s challenge to make our own bacon, bread and mayonnaise and grow tomatoes and greens to make a BLT from scratch. We started out just thinking about it: We planted a tomato plant: Bought a pork … Read more

BLTeaser….

After the bacon and the first pancetta (and tomatoes!)….. We proudly present… Check back in Sunday to see how we get on with our BLT from scratch meal (for 20 –  yikes!!!!)

Scrap metal

So those spoons from yesterday – where DO they come from??? Well after visiting the Plain of Jars, we headed out of the tourist zone to a small village where our local guide wanted to show us what the Lao people have done with all the scrap metal left from the bombs dropped on Laos … Read more

If a picture is worth a thousand words…

what’s the story behind these spoons??? As you probably worked out, Neil and I like nice cutlery… So when we saw these gorgeous spoons in Laos, we couldn’t resist. Sure, they’re not perfect but I think they are stunning in their simplicity (and they are very photogenic!!!). So what’s so special about them? Where do … Read more

Adventures in bread baking

(or why I am clearly not a baker!) So it all started out when I decided that the BLT from scratch challenge was something Neil and I would participate in. I was completely convinced that this would be do-able. And, for the most part (the parts that we have a say in, so nothing to … Read more