Landcroft House

Easiest Ever Vanilla Fudge

2011-12-24T14:41:00.004Z

This fudge is great. You have all the ingredients in the house already and don't need to go to the corner shop in the rain looking for a large tin of condensed milk as you would for most other fudges. You can make it right now as long as you've got a sugar thermometer or don't mind taking a risk.Makes enough for 2 last-minute Christmas Eve gift bags350g golden cater sugar300ml whole milk (would

Jamaican Ginger Cake

2011-11-23T15:22:00.005Z

Thanks to all this damp and misty weather, Landcroft House is currently going through an afternoon tea and cake obsession. Here's today's simple offering. I like the last minute addition of a sticky orange glaze but it isn't very authentic and traditional Jamaican ginger cake often has grated root ginger in for a bit of heat - try adding some if you fancy it.Serves 10175g butter175g light brown

Bats, Brains and Spiders

2011-10-20T12:01:00.004+01:00

Fabio and I have been hard at work getting ready for today's school Halloween cake sale. Cutting out the bat's wings took far far too long and anyway we liked the brains best. The idea for those came from Lily Vanilli's terrifying cupcake book, we just added few maggots

Child-friendly Cucumber Sushi

2011-08-31T08:05:00.007+01:00

Cucumber rolls are a good introduction to sushi. They're enjoyable to make and there's nothing in them even the terrible two year old could object to eating. This will be us next week ! Serves 2 150g sushi rice 1 tbsp rice vinegar large pinch caster sugar 5cm piece cucumber, cut into batons 2 sheets nori seaweed 1 tbsp sesame seeds sweet soy sauce 1 Put the rice in a small pan with 300ml water.

Fishy Fingers

2011-08-07T10:50:00.007+01:00

Makes 12 250g skinless, boneless white fish 2 tbsp grated Parmesan 6 tbsp bread crumbs 2 tbsp plain flour 1 egg, beaten olive oil, for shallow frying 1 Cut the fish into chunky fingers. 2 Mix together the cheese and breadcrumbs. 3 Dip the fish first in the flour, then the egg and finally the cheesy crumbs. 4 Heat some oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Cook the fish

Thank You Someone Nice on Crystal Palace Road

2011-08-02T07:24:00.003+01:00

Look what I found on my way to the pub last night. How kind!

Squashy Marshmallows

2011-07-29T17:01:00.006+01:00

This is not one for children to attempt on their own as it involves boiling sugar but the finished marshmallows are so much yummier than commercial ones, they're really worth having a go. The liquid glucose is not strictly necessary but is an insurance against the sugar crystalising and you having to start all over again. Makes 100 30g icing sugar 30g cornflour 9 sheets gelatine 450g granulated

Summer School - Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-07-28T08:39:00.014+01:00

Given a choice between two pages from a writing workbook or to cook a dish and write up a recipe every day, Fabio has chosen the second option. Say hello, to the Landcroft House cookery school for seven year olds. So far, we have made toad in the hole, fruit smoothies, chorizo omlettes, chocolate chip cookies and fresh pesto (not used any knives yet...) Today, buttermilk pancakes for breakfast

Limoncello

2010-11-05T09:39:00.008Z

The 4 litres of limoncello I made in July ready for Christmas have now mostly been drunk. To be honest it only takes three weeks to make so I was a bit ahead of myself really and anyway I needed the bottles emptying so they could be ready again for this new batch.I work on an equal quantities method (equal sugar to water for the syrup then equal syrup to vodka) but you can adjust yours, even each

Chocolate Birthday Cake

2010-11-02T10:33:00.004Z

Suddenly Baby turned one this week. Don't know how it happened so quickly but there we are. As she doesn't have any friends yet, she had to have her cake in the middle of Scrap's Hallowe'en party, in amongst the bats and the eyeball jellies. Not that she noticed.This is a good chocolate cake for kids as it's very light and not actually very chocolatey and I find that it suits those below five

Sweet Potato & Goats Cheese Tarts

2010-10-06T07:33:00.003+01:00

These are nice - they're easy to make, they're packed with goodness and they taste yum. Eat hot from the oven or wrap and pack in your bag.Makes 62 small sweet potatoes375g sheet ready rolled puff pastry2 tbsp sun dried tomato paste or red pestohandful baby tomatoes, halved100g goats cheese, crumbled2 tbsp pumpkin seedsdrizzle of olive oilPreheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6. Bake the sweet potatoes

Ring, ring!, ring, ring!

2010-09-24T19:34:00.003+01:00

"Hello? Is that Landcroft House?""Yes caller, hello. How can we help you?""Well hi. It's Skream, aka Oliver Jones, dubstep legend and one third of the brilliant Magnetic Man here...""Oh hi, Skream. How are you?""I'm really good thank you, how are you?""Oh we're great, thanks. Actually, can you help us out a minute?""Sure, yeah, no problem. What's up?""Oh nothing major, we were just wondering what

The Bellenden Bun Fight

2010-09-18T07:31:00.006+01:00

Your local charity bake-off is back! You have exactly two weeks to get your jams, jellies, biscuits and scones up to scratch. This season's Classic Cake category is The Lemon Drizzle. We have brilliant prizes courtesy of our friends at delicious and yours truly is in charge of the judging panel! Hurrah!More details here.Hannah Jones' Prize-Winning Chocolate Ginger Biscuits225g soft unsalted

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 45

2010-08-02T16:19:00.007+01:00

Griffin: Yours Till Forever (Capitol, 1970)Sunshine psyche-pop delightfulness recorded with a cast of, well, about twenty in LA forty years ago this summer. Griffin never did make any sort of mark - if you could see the picture of them in front of me you'd understand why - but this is a truly lovely record. Of course, that might be because it was written by Kenny Nolan who went onto write this. I

Jellied Ham

2010-07-19T07:07:00.001+01:00

My grandma used to have us screaming from the kitchen when she made this using a whole pig's head. I kid myself I can remember back to my childhood and what it tasted like though in reality, I'm sure I never was brave enough to even try it. She had enough natural gelatine from the head to make her 'jelly meat' set very firmly but I add a few extra leaves to make sure I get a good wobble.

This New Record Is Quite Nice

2010-07-14T13:58:00.004+01:00

David Rotheray with Kathryn Williams: Crows, Ravens and Rooks (Proper Records, 2010)Here's an unexpectedly lovely song. Mr Rotheray (steady ladies, he's [probably] married [or, at the very least, seeing someone]) used to be in Beautiful South - a band who never really troubled my consciousness much, tbh - and has returned from, frankly, Christ knows where, with an actual folk music album that

Preserved Lemons

2010-07-09T14:52:00.006+01:00

It's Scrap's school summer fair tomorrow and somehow, I am in charge of the cafe. We've got a barbecue, home-made scones and cakes, organic strawberries and cream and a very carefully planned rota. The stand I always wish I could work on (apart from whack-the-rat) is the home produce - this year, as well as my usual cheat's jam, and Scrap's elderflower cordial, I've made them some preserved

Baby's Oatcakes

2010-07-02T17:33:00.003+01:00

8 months old and still no teeth, Baby's gums are giving her gip. Oatcakes take minutes to make and are good for gnawing. Add salt, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, cumin seeds or grated Parmesan for the grown ups.Whizz together 120g oats, 100g plain flour and 80g unsalted butter. When well blended add 4 tablespoons of cold water to make a firm dough. Roll out fairly thinly and bake at 180C / Gas 4

This Old Record Is Actually Quite Nice

2010-06-28T15:41:00.006+01:00

Jamme: Strawberry Jam Man (Warlok Records, 1970)Lyrically, this is a classic of the, "you might like to do this, but I like to do this" genre (other examples to follow, maybe). Other folks might like to swim, say, or climb a tree. But our man here likes to eat strawberry jam. Every day, if possible. Produced by The Mamas and The Papas' John Philips, this is multi-harmonied, jingle-jangle heavy,

Portuguese Pork And Clams

2010-06-27T08:39:00.000+01:00

We eat here a lot and one or other of us always orders the pork and clams. This is my home-made attempt at it and it's not bad but not quite as good as theirs. But they are from Portugal and I am from Derby, so what can you expect?Serves 4500g pork fillet, diced1 smallish glass of rose or white wine2 garlic cloves, halved2 tsp smoked paprika2 tbsp olive oil1 onion, finely chopped4 garlic cloves,

So, What Are You Listening To Right Now?

2010-06-24T13:47:00.007+01:00

Oh, I know the answer to this one!Janelle Monáe: Neon Valley Street (Bad Boy Records, 2010)I have checked the stats, worked out the angles and crunched the numbers. The results are in. There is precisely nothing not to love about this record. Jonelle appears to be that rare beast, an actual star. Amazing.Alondra Bentley: Sunglasses (Absolute Beginners, 2010)Alondra was born in England but she's

Elderflower and Lemongrass Cordial

2010-06-21T12:30:00.014+01:00

Me and Scrap picked a little bunch of elderflowers on our walk in the woods yesterday and thought we'd have a try at some home-made pop. There are tons of recipes, all roughly the same, showing how to make your own cordial but I followed this friendly version and just added a couple of bruised lemongrass stalks.We made enough to fill 8 bottles, so that's one for him, one for me, one for his

Poached Sea Trout

2010-06-19T14:36:00.001+01:00

Apparently, they're only around for about three weeks and they were on special offer at £13.50 a kilo instead of the usual £20 and although I already had a whole shoulder of lamb, a large free range chicken and a lot of sausages tucked under the buggy, I bought one (£12.10). And a pot of Moxon's home-made extra-virgin rapeseed oil mayonnaise to go with it.Generally, I'm not keen on trout, it's a

This Old Record Is Also Quite Nice

2010-06-18T09:19:00.004+01:00

Maffitt / Davies: Kingswood Manor (EMI, 1968)A chap from Iowa, born in 1940. A chap from New York born in 1942. Put them together and it could be dynamite. Well, actually it was dynamite, for quite some time, though, sadly, the vast majority of the world never took any notice. However, we can help, if only through the medium of having a listen, deciding that, you know what, as groovily

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 44

2010-06-15T09:26:00.007+01:00

Bojoura: Hampstead Incident (Polydor, 1968)Reasons to like Bojoura. She's married to the drummer from Focus. She covered The Box Tops' The Letter in 1974. She's a leading light of what (I discovered today) is called Nederbeat. She is of Bulgarian descent. Not enough pop stars are of Bulgarian descent. Anyway, this is a Donovan cover which means two extra points to begin with. Plus it has a

Baby-Friendly Frittata

2010-06-13T10:15:00.006+01:00

We're at the 'stuff everything you can grab into your mouth' stage with baby this week. The lovingly steamed butternut puree rarely gets close to her mouth before she's yanked the spoon off me and shoved it into her ear. Despite my best efforts with a damp flannel, she trundles through East Dulwich with her wispy hair plastered to her head in various veggie shades of green and orange. So now I'm

Crispy Fried Salt Cod (Spanish Style)

2010-06-12T13:37:00.009+01:00

I love salt cod but almost always make it into fritters and serve with loads of alioli. This recipe is based on the classic Basque dish bacalao al ajoarriero where the fish is usually flaked into the sauce. I like to keep the pieces whole and serve the sauce on the side. Make sure you get nice thick cod loin not the tail ends and remember to change the soaking water 3 - 4 times otherwise the fish

This Old Record Is Also Quite Nice

2010-06-10T09:23:00.000+01:00

Tibby Edwards: But I Do (Mercury, 1957)Until five minutes ago I had never heard of Mr Edwards, now I sort of love him. From the sawing fiddle intro to his last gasp of vibrato right at the end this is a very loveavble record. I don't think I've ever heard anyone chew their way through a lyric like this, Tibby bites great chunks out of each word and gnashes them down to fit his own remarkable

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 43

2010-06-07T09:21:00.009+01:00

Sir John Betjeman: North Coast Recollections (El, 2010)Two things that are great about this poem recorded in 1959. One, Betjeman pronounces "golf" as "goff". I have no idea why, but I really like the way he does. Then there is the line, "and lamps are being lit in bungalows" where there is just the hint, the suggestion, the echo of a possibility of a chance, that "bung-er-lews" are, somehow, a

Delicious Barbecued Pork

2010-06-05T19:46:00.009+01:00

Another hot day, another chance to light the barbie - my oven's gone a bit luke-wam all of a sudden and the whoosh of the fan is a quiet whisper. I only discovered this when I was baking a Red Velvet birthday cake for Rob the other day so it ended up more of a fudge cake than light-as-air but he'd necked so much Prosecco by the time I wheeled it out, covered in sprinkles, no-one knew the

Tofu Omelette

2010-06-04T07:39:00.010+01:00

We're celebrating the end of half term with our first ever trip to Legoland today (hooray!)A high-protein breakfast of tofu omelette made a delicious and hopefully, stamina-building start to the day.Serves 21 tbsp sunflower oil200g medium firm tofu, cubed2 spring onions, thinly sliced1 garlic clove, thinly slicedtiny knob of butter3 eggs, beatensoy sauce and chilli seasoning, to serve1 Heat the

These New Records Are Quite Nice

2010-01-12T09:57:00.006Z

Tactical Thinking: That's Right Move (Tactical Thinking Entertainment, 2009)This slipped out late last year, but thanks to me not opening my post - sorry - I missed it. Anyhow, you know how some records are just so good that, within about three seconds you've decided that this is the only record you've ever really loved? Well, this is one of them. Or at least it is for me, but then, I'm easily

Winter Carrot Cake

2009-12-30T10:23:00.005Z

This cake really is for idiots - there's no technique required, not even any vigorous whisking, just a bit of grating and stirring and it turns out beautifully. Top with traditional frosting or just mix together the juice and zest of a clementine and a bit of icing sugar and drizzle over the top.It sets rather firmly so it's good for baking and taking.Enough for 8200g coarsely grated carrot100g

Christmas Leftover Pie with a Cider Crust

2009-12-28T14:23:00.010Z

Pie is an obvious way to use up turkey and winter vegetables but the cider makes this one slightly less boring. Serves 4 - 62 tbsp turkey dripping or vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 2 tbsp plain flour 150ml pear or apple cider 400ml hot chicken stock 3 carrots, cut into chunks 3 parsnips, cut into chunks 1 tbsp cranberry jelly chopped herbs

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 42

2009-12-11T12:56:00.007Z

The Four Tops: Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over (Casablanca, 1982)From their crucial early-80s period (ahem), this is actually a choon, a gently-orchestrated piece of fast-approaching-middle-age, lover-man jazz-soul balladry that, if you took all the vocals out, would sound exactly like the sort of studio-created, session-musician-heavy pop that used to fill the soundwaves when BBC2 was off

These Records Are A Bit Nice

2009-12-01T13:00:00.011Z

The xx: Blood Red Moon (Demo) (XL, 2009)Young people making wonderfully listenable (and actually whistleable) pop records? Nah, it'll never catch on. How could it? Who in their right mind would want to sit in their own home and let their ears be set upon by teen tyke terror-titans? You'd have to be crazy. Unless, of course, it was Ver x who are very much in The Goods. This is the B-Side (I say,

Disco Update

2009-12-01T12:50:00.003Z

It was really good and I got a bit drunk.

Roadblock Warning For SE22 Tonight

2009-11-27T13:59:00.002Z

Just to let you all know, you should avoid the Landcroft Road / Crystal Palace Road area to tonight as it will be a Roadblock Scenario between the hours of about 7pm and, let's say, 11?"Why?" you ask, your eyes shining with delight. Well, it's because Scrap's pal Harvey's dad and I have teamed up - as Fabio's Dad and Steve Grooverider - in order to take care of bidniz at the Heber School (

This New Record Is Quite Nice

2009-11-27T10:09:00.003Z

You see how easily I can just slip back into the lingua franca of the old blogosphere? Honestly, this stuff just rolls from the fingertips. I guess it's a gift. It felt so good to be, if you will, back in the saddle yesterday that I figured, why not give it a go today too? The record industry is kind enough to push CDs through my door every day, it would be mean not to flag up the one in 264

And We're Back

2009-11-26T14:51:00.002Z

Hello. We've been a bit quiet really, haven't we? Sorry about that, had a lot on. Wow, it feels really odd not having to think that I might be about to go over 140 characters. Anyway, so we've had the baby (Cassia, literally the most beautiful baby there ever was, obv), so let's restart this blog, eh? Silvana and I were talking about it this morning and we've both really missed it. And, whatsmore

Toad In The Hole

2009-07-29T11:21:00.004+01:00

Had your barbecue lit much this month? Nope, us neither. Here's a nice warming supper dish for you.Wrap the sausages in streaky bacon first if you've got some.Serves 3splash of olive oil6 fat and herby pork sausages100g plain flourbit of English mustard powder or 1 tbsp wholegrain1 egg150ml milk150ml waterPreheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6. Place the sausages and oil in a small ovenproof dish -

"Hello? Landcroft House..."

2009-07-21T16:46:00.007+01:00

"Hello Landcroft House, it's Robert Wyatt from Soft Machine and a load of really great solo records and stuff here...""Hey Robert. Thanks for calling. Could you tell me one thing?""It would be my pleasure.""OK, what’s the greatest record ever made?""Well, for me it's Such Sweet Thunder by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, 1957. It’s the Shakespeare suite, not the greatest piece of music ever, but

Summer Berry Jam

2009-06-29T12:01:00.007+01:00

I am not very good at jam making really. I think it's a tricky business, it usually takes ages and there's always a risk it might not set properly. But if, like me, you've agreed to contribute to the school summer fair and you're not a natural, make your jam as foolproof as possible - this method takes about 15 minutes. Especially simple if you use frozen summer berries (currently £5 for 3 x

Here Is Some Nice Music

2009-06-24T09:37:00.007+01:00

Brigitte Bardot: Mambo Bardot (Dot, 1958)From the album, La Belle Bardot (not that she's actually on it), this is dangerously slinky. If I knew what "cigarette pants" were I would buy some and wear them immediately. You can enjoy more of this sort of thing here.Laurel Aitken: Sex Machine (Hebra, 1972)You see, it sounds like he's singing, 'My baby calls me the Queen, because I'm the sex machine'

Broadbean and Pancetta Frittata

2009-06-18T13:59:00.009+01:00

Serves 4100g cubed pancetta6 large eggs1 thick slice of crusty bread, about 100g100g shelled broad beans100g Parmesan, diced or coarsely gratedlarge bunch of chives, snipped with scissors1 Cook the pancetta in a large non-stick frying pan for 5 minutes until crisp.2 Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a splash of water and season lightly. Tear the bread into small pieces, stir into the beaten eggs with

This Old Record Is Quite Nice

2009-06-04T08:15:00.003+01:00

Fanny: Beggar Man (Casablanca, 1974)You have no idea quite how enlightening that trip to Google Images was. Anyway, Fanny. Not the greatest band of all-time. But one capable of knocking out the odd nice tune. My guess is someone breezed in from a long drive to the studio and said, "You kow what we need? A slice of melodic, funky-rock. Tap a bit of that Stevie Wonder dollar." Well, whatever the

Fink Estate

2009-06-03T09:21:00.005+01:00

Fink: Sort Of Revolution (Sideshow Dub) (Ninja, 2009)Fink seems like an interesting fellow to me. There are various remixes on this new single, but I've become particularly keen on this one, which is handy as it's Fin(k) remixing his own work. Keeps the bills down, do you see? Now, if I'd been asked to provide a dub mix - and, who knows, perhaps that day will come? - I would have woven in a wee

Music For a Beautiful Summer Evening

2009-06-02T17:02:00.004+01:00

Bizzy B: Rub-a-Dub Style (Unreleased, 1992)From a brilliant new compilation of classic Bizzy B material on Planet Mu, this is lunatic, breakbeat jungle of the most heart-breakingly impressive kind. I would ask all listeners to, kindly, fire up their Hoovers and prepare for, literally, an all-out assault on their lugholes. Isn't it.

Music For a Beautiful Summer Day

2009-06-02T08:03:00.006+01:00

Grasscut: Sorel Point (Ninja Tune, 2009)I have a strong tendency to be be presold on stuff like this. Two blokes noodling about with acoustic guitars and folk and samplers and all that sort of thing, so I can only offer the weakest apology when I try and foist another one on you. Grasscut name Oliver Postgate and William Wordsworth among their influences and that just makes me love them even more

Spiced Okra Ratatouille

2009-05-31T18:22:00.004+01:00

Serves 42 tbsp sunflower oil2 red onions, sliced1 red pepper, slicedlarge knob of ginger, shredded2 garlic cloves, chopped1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp black mustard seeds8 ripe tomatoes, diced2 tsp garam marsala8 baby aubergines, thickly sliced or 2 regular, cubes400g okra, topped tailed and halved if longsqueeze of lemon juicenaan bread, to serveHeat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions and

This Is A Bit Nice

2009-05-06T12:13:00.003+01:00

Tara Jane O'Neil: Drowning (K Records, 2009)From a tiny hamlet called Portland, just outside the the delightful old market town of Oregon, Tara Jane is, literally, really good for the following reasons. She's quite folk, but also quite drone and quite odd and a trifle electronicy. And, you know, that makes her good (in my eyes). Anyway, the album is from the very top shelf of the topper most

These Three New Records Are Quite Nice

2009-05-01T01:01:00.001+01:00

Astrid Williamson: Take My Breath Away (One Little Indian, 2009)Astrid is just the right side of Dido-esque, Radio 2 cheeseology, She's also from the Shetland Isles, but lives in Brighton. I've listened to this track four times today already and, to be honest, I'm meant to be doing something else.Ill Logic & Raf: Darkness at Noon (Bingo, 2009)A pair of blokes - literally. This is refreshingly

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2009-04-21T15:06:00.007+01:00

Jose Roberto Bertrami: Brilliante (Far Out Recordings, 2009)Bertrami is a member of Azymuth. This is from a record he's just made that, and I quote, "mixes 60's soundtracks with 80's grooves", which, in reality, means it's like the sort of superbly produced test-card music that used to be played if something went tits up before The Love Boat. If I'm honest, that's my favourite music of all...

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 41

2009-04-15T08:03:00.007+01:00

Bert Jansch: Baby Blue (Charisma, 1975)From Bert's - Bert! Why aren't there any pop stars called Bert anymore? - second album for Chrisma, this is a blatant stab at radio friendly niceness. It's so 1975 it actually hurts, but in a good way. From the Maggie May-like intro, to the Motownish piano, it is a work of sunshine, cheese-cloth 'n' flares wonder. Bert's voice may not be to all tastes, but

Home Made Easter Truffle Eggs

2009-04-09T08:12:00.004+01:00

If you've got two long weeks off school to fill, these eggs are easy for kids to make and they taste nice.Makes 12200g dark chocolate200g milk chocolate400g sponge cake such as Madeira or marble cake, made into crumbs100g rasins, sultanas, dried blueberries or cranberries50g chopped nuts or dessicated coconutTo decorateDessicated coconut, cocoa powder, finely grated dark or white chocolateBreak

New Music That's Also Quite Good

2009-04-01T12:32:00.009+01:00

Meanderthals: Bugges Room (Smalltown Supersound, 2009)Sound the jazz alarm, this is, literally, delightful. Literally in the sense that it fills me with delight when I play it, despite it simply being a recording of some blokes in a room somewhere banging bits of wood and twanging wires and so forth. What's good about that? Well, perhaps lots of things. More of this sort of thing here.Adam

These Old Records Are Quite Nice

2009-03-31T12:17:00.009+01:00

The Louvin Brothers: Knoxville Girl (Capitol, 1956)"I met a little girl in Knoxville," Charlie and Ira Louvin sing, "a town we all know well..." Actually, I've never been to Knoxville, have you? Ira was, "an abusive, irritable alcoholic", apparently, but he also wrote the majority of the songs and croons like a dream here. More of this sort of thing http://www.amazon.co.uk/

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2009-03-20T10:27:00.005Z

Zoey Van Goey: Two White Ghosts (Left In The Dark, 2009)I've actually got five minutes to listen to some records today - although, to be fair, I'd rather be walking round the park eating an ice-cream. This little gem fell into my lap quite quickly. ZVG are, literally, indie-pop, which means, by law, they have to have at least one song about Japan. But that's OK, because this is actually quite a

Aubergines Are For Girls?

2009-03-19T18:04:00.007Z

I know it only takes a couple of days of sunshine and we want to light the barbecue and I know it's still only March but I have definitely noticed that the tomatoes and aubergines in the shops have started to look more plump, shiny and yes, summery.I love aubergines but Robert doesn't. Not even in a curry. In fact I don't know a single man who doesn't really dislike aubergines except maybe my

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 40

2009-03-16T15:05:00.007Z

Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra: After You've Gone (His Master's Voice, 1939)I've pulled this one from here, the soundtrack to Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon. There's something incredibly heartwarming about this sort of thing, despite it coming from a time when the world was tipping directly into war. There's probably a reason for all of this, my theory is that everyone was so busy wandering

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 39

2009-03-10T14:40:00.005Z

Gene Page: The Call (RCA, 1972)Taken from Page's soundtrack to Blacula, The Call is the sort of maxi-silk smoothness that 1972 was rightly famous for. When I listen to this while staring out of the window I imagine myself sat at the far corner of a darkened bar smoking Newports and drinking Pabst (or whatever) while wearing velour. In my dream the cigarettes make me look cool and the velour makes

Hello? Landcroft House...

2009-03-06T08:46:00.004Z

"Hello Landcroft House, it's Harry Shearer out of The Simpsons and Spinal Tap here...""Hey Harry. Thanks for calling. Could you tell me one thing?""Sure - shoot.""What’s the greatest record ever made?""Well! The one that gives me so much pleasure – at least 85% of the thrill it gave me when it first came out – and that is Frank Sinatra’s Songs For Swinging Lovers. There’s a guy in New York who

Black Forest Trifle

2009-03-02T13:13:00.005Z

I like trifle very much, especially after roast beef on a sunny Sunday.Serves 81 small chocolate marble cakesmall glass of sweet sherryjar or can of morello cherries, drained4 tbsp drinking chocolate500g carton custard250g carton mascarpone50g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped200ml double cream softly whipped with a tbsp icing sugarchocolate cherry dragees and / or chopped chocolateSlice the

Welcome Back, Mr Brown

2009-02-26T08:09:00.004Z

Findlay Brown: Teardrops In The Rain (This Is Music, 2009)We've not had any Findlay B on here for a while, but then, he's been busy on those Mastercard ads, breaking his leg (apparently - someone told me this, I can't recall who) and, well, having his ouvre reswizzled by Bernard Butler. Consequently, Find's new album is reverb-heavy, emotionally-charged, Righteous Brothers-a-like gloom-pop of the

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2009-02-20T10:32:00.004Z

Jeniferever: Lives Apart (Monotreme Records, 2009)Relax girls, they're married. Maybe. Anyway, Jeniferever are from the heaving metropolis of Uppsala in Sweden and they make music that makes your brain feel nice. This is from their new album (which is good too). This is the stuff, eh?

Get Your A-Level In Donkology Here

2009-02-17T16:43:00.003Z

Have you put a donk on anything recently? This film - it's in five parts, all of them utterly fascinating - attempts to explain the phenomena of the "donk". It's what the young people like. It is!

In Car Entertainment: 1

2009-02-12T07:59:00.005Z

Fionn Regan: Abacus (Universal, 2007)Every now and again I make a CD to play in the car (if only to potentially cut down on the amount of time I have to listen to Charlie And Lola stories) and what usually happens is I get completely obsessed by one of the tracks and end up driving around and around listening to it over and over and over again while - hello! - singing along (badly) at the top of

Roast Guinea Fowl

2009-02-09T20:03:00.005Z

To be honest, there's not that much between a chicken and a guinea fowl in terms of flavour but there's enough to make them worth trying and they're definitely juicier on the breast though perhaps a bit drier on the legs. This is most likely because they're naturally leaner than chickens but because they're smaller and only cook for about an hour, the breast doesn't dry out. I wrapped mine in

Warning: Advertising Message To Follow

2009-02-06T07:16:00.004Z

I've taken over The Guardian's Readers Recommend column. The first one is asking for your songs about adventure. Do weigh in if you feel the urge...

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2009-02-05T08:36:00.004Z

It Hugs Back: Now + Again (4AD, 2009)You see, this is the sort of thing I just like as soon as I hear it. Whistleable Tune + Drone + Hair-Shakingly Wispy Vocal + Loony Bit In The Middle. Come on other, more rubbish bands! It's not that difficult, is it? People have been making records that sound a little like this for years, so it can't be that hard, can it? Anyway, the Back are from Kent and

Where's The Bad Bit?

2009-02-03T05:21:00.002Z

Eddie Bo: Hook And Sling (Scram, 1969)It's still cold. Beautiful, but cold. So warming up is important. This might help. The pertinent thing about this record is, try as I might, I can't find any bad bits. It appears to only consist of good bits that get progressively better and better before having the good grace to knock it all on the head before you get cheesed off with it. Thank you Mr Bo,

Morning!

2009-02-02T07:22:00.001Z

Winter Collection: Chicken Pie

2009-01-30T09:22:00.001Z

Scrap's pal came for tea yesterday and I made a nice pie. Sadly his little friend couldn't face it and then got violently sick at the table. Turns out she had the winter vomit bug and is feeling much better today, so don't let that put you off.Serves 41 large onion, thinly sliced400g baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed1 chicken600ml hot chicken stock200g frozen peas100g crème fraiche1 tbsp Dijon

John Martyn: RIP

2009-01-29T15:56:00.003Z

Last year I was lucky enough to go to Ireland to interview John. What happened next can be read here...

Winter Collection: Cardamom Rice Pudding

2009-01-28T15:50:00.009Z

We like rice pudding but not the wrinkly skin that settles on the top when you bake it, so I do ours on the stove top. Add a handful of sultanas half way through if you like them and serve hot or cold with a good a spoonful of honey (or jam).Serves 4Knob of butter100g short grain rice600 - 800ml milk50g vanilla sugar6 cardamom pods, cracked2 – 4 tbsp honeyHeat the butter in a non-stick pan and

Sound The Definitive-Reading Alarm

2009-01-27T16:19:00.005Z

Keith Mansfield Orchestra: You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (CBS, 1970)We've dealt with Mansfield before, but this just cropped up on my iTunes and it, literally, made me laugh out loud. To myself. That trombone... Genius.

Basement Crates: Quickie Edition

2009-01-27T08:35:00.008Z

Sanchez: Leave Out A Babylon (Digital B, 1994)I was messing around with a pile of record sleeves - looking for some arresting ones for the wall - when I found an old Bobby Digital compilation - this one, in fact - poking out. So I had a squizz down it and remembered how much I liked this Sanchez track that's pitched sort of perfectly between dub and dancehall. He's not 100% complimentary about

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2009-01-26T14:05:00.005Z

The Long Lost Colour (Ninja Tune, 2009)Here's one to split the vote. The Long Lost are from California and appear to be living inside some sort of Victorian fantasy world where they get to dress up oddly and sing songs like Colour - note the English spelling, these things are important - in a manner that will either have you smashing your computer to pieces on contact or realising your life has

A Tune For Friday Afternoon

2009-01-23T16:04:00.005Z

Groove Armada: Paris (feat. Candi Staton) (Columbia, 2007)Despite what the file name might say, this is not called Come Back Home, it's actually called Paris, but, y'know, who cares, really? Point is, it's a chooon. Friday afternoon really is The King Of Afternoons, isn't it?

A Nice Record I Got In The Post Yesterday

2009-01-23T10:32:00.005Z

Dan Arborise: Take Heart In Your Hope (Just Music, 2009)I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll keep this short. I've been going through my post - most of it - and I'm not much taken with any of it. I have to be honest, I don't have any space in my heart left for "scratchy Josef K guitars" or "cinematic rock-scapes" or all that other nonsene. But I do have space - quite a lot of space, in fact - for

Basement Crates: 40 & 41

2009-01-20T21:05:00.000Z

Michael Garrick: First Born (Argo, 1972)I found this in a box under an unpleasant old suitcase. So I threw away the suitcase - I'm ruthless like that, and dug my way through the box. This is a proper beauty, the sort of thing you will waltz around the kitchen to - possibly on your own - when you're feeling like really getting into chopping those vegetables and searing that streak (or, y'know,

New Music Friday: Double Edition

2009-01-16T11:10:00.006Z

DM Stith: Morning Glory Cloud (Asthmatic Kitty, 2009)DM is an interesting fellow for sure. His official record company biography notes that, "his father is a college wind ensemble director and former church choir director; his grandfather is professor emeritus in the music department at Cornell University; his mother is a pianist; his sisters sing opera, play piano, tap dance, play timpani and

Make A Donation

2009-01-14T08:24:00.008Z

I'm a regular blood donor. I'm not bothered by needles, I quite like lying down in the mobile unit in the Sainsbury's car park in Sydenham and getting 20 minutes or so of peace. I even quite like the tepid squash and digestive biscuit afterwards.I do it because it's a good thing to do and blood stocks are always low. I don't do it because it takes 650 calories to replace that pint of blood.

Home Made Pasta

2009-01-13T17:46:00.006Z

Making pasta at home is probably more expensive than buying it from the supermarket and it certainly takes longer, it takes bloody ages in fact. But it tastes a billion times better than anything you could buy and is one of the most calming, hypnotic things you could ever make, quietly and alone in your own kitchen. I love it and it makes me a nicer person.You can only ever eat pasta for lunch

Winter Collection: Crock Pot!

2009-01-12T13:59:00.007Z

I've had this Slow Cooker squashed up next to Rob's crates and crates and crates of vinyl in our dusty old basement since the Christmas before last and decided it was high time it saw some daylight. Anyway, as it turns out, I like it very much, it looks nice and it gives the kitchen a warm and cosy hum. Unfortunately, I'm not doing all that well with it. Mostly I'm using too much liquid and we

Lily And Me: The Truth

2009-01-08T21:33:00.005Z

I did an interview with the delightful Lily Allen just before Christmas. Apparently, some people have got a little upset by some if what she had to say, which seems silly to me, really. But as I write, there are 167 different news outlets that have picked up on it. My personal favourite is this one. I think they've got it about right.

Booze Ban: Reinstated

2009-01-08T08:57:00.007Z

Pete Greenwood: Wine & Rye (Heavenly, 2008)So, I'm doing it again for reasons I can't quite figure out (though we could start with a mixture of puritanical self-regard and ludicrously misguided catholic guilt). I'm a week in, but the euphoria of last year's ban hasn't materialised, I think, probably, because I came back from Thailand feeling so good already. However, my productivity is going

Basement Crates: 37 & 38 (& 39)

2009-01-06T14:40:00.011Z

King Sun: Coming Soon (Profile, 1989)I've been having a good root around down there (the basement) and found a stack of stuff which, as far as I can make out, I've not played since the last time someone asked me to DJ. As you can imagine, that was a tremendously long time ago (with no major bookings on the horizon, either). So, I think I bought this at HMV in Guildford back when the very idea of

Holidays: Whose Good Idea Was That Then?

2009-01-05T06:37:00.012Z

Hello! Are you back at work? It's cold, isn't it? Right after the last post we jumped into an Addison Lee cab and made for Heathrow. Scrap and S were full of "beans", while I felt completely bloody awful. Sick, tired, full of cold and thick with late-December London booze-fuelled poison. I was looking forward to the 11-plus hour flight as it meant I could sit in a chair for hours drinking Lemsip.

Quick, Let's Go On Holiday!

2008-12-16T07:42:00.004Z

We're off to the exotic east. Enjoy "winterval". See you all in 2009,isn't it.

Winter Collection: Yule Log

2008-12-15T11:26:00.006Z

This is one of those really old-fashioned cakes that I've not made since domestic science at school and thought would be easy, but actually, there's a lot here that can go wrong.But as we're going to be away for Christmas and we were having a little neighbours' tea party yesterday, I thought I'd give it a go. I like to have everything sorted the day before but this really has to be eaten on the

Vintage Magazine Joy Friday

2008-12-12T09:46:00.002Z

Situated over this side of the internet, some kind soul has scanned in years and years and years worth of old Radio Shack catalogues. He - I'm assuming it is a "he" - calls them "catalogs" because he's out of the Americans, but let's not quibble. The point is this, if you can't get, say, an hour's solid pleasure from looking (adoringly) at 40 year old tape decks, then, frankly, there's something

Winter Collection: Soft Roast Potatoes

2008-12-11T08:08:00.005Z

I like my potatoes roasted this way, they get a nice sticky bottom and some crunch on the top. They're best made with my current obsession, Bartlett rooster potatoes but desirees will do.Enough for 6small knob of butter2 tbsp olive oil2.5kg rooster potatoes, peeled and cubed200ml hot chicken or vegetable stockgrated rind and juice of 1 lemon2 garlic bulbs1 tbsp dried oregano1 Preheat the oven to

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2008-12-09T03:55:00.004Z

Baskery: Harsh (Glitterhouse, 2009)I don't know what it was that first attracted me to the Bondesson sisters, the Swedish triplets that make up Baskery, but the fact the one on the right looks like Becky from Coronation St doesn't hurt. Anyway, my goodness, whatever it was, I'm pleased to report they play nice music as well. Harsh is from their rather wonderful album Fall Among Thieves. They play

Paramount: Loving London All Over Again

2008-12-08T01:12:00.001Z

Had a night out in Paramount last week. It's an absolutely amazing place 32 (and 33) floors up the Centrepoint tower. It looks good from Bedford Square:and London looks so good from the viewing gallery that I - and everyone I was with - spent almost the whole night gazing out of the window going, "Blimey..." and cooing about how good London looked from, literally, the sky. This, I feel, can only

Winter Collection: Chocolate Brownie Cake

2008-12-03T09:06:00.003Z

A bit squidgy in the middle and crumbly on the outside. With so many nut allergies around I swapped the usual chopped nuts for sultanas.Serves 12225g unsalted butter350g dark chocolate4 large eggs, beaten1 tsp vanilla essence350g light muscovado sugar225g plain flour75g small sultanassmall handful chocolate buttonscocoa powder for dustingPreheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm and

It's Indie-Pop O'Clock

2008-12-02T01:43:00.007Z

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: Young Adult Friction (Fortuna Pop, 2009)It has come to my attention that The Pains' new album is, literally, the greatest record ever made (as long as your idea of truly great records hovers around the greatest hits of The Razorcuts and very early Slowdive). It's like acid house never happened! Happily, on mornings like this one - - that combination works for me

Winter Collection: Afternoon Apple Cake

2008-12-01T09:47:00.003Z

Serves 6 - 8150g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling150g butter, room temperature, pus extra for dotting2 large eggs, beaten250g self raising flour1 tsp baking powder1 tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp ground mixed spices2 Bramley apples100g small sultanasPreheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 1kg loaf tin.Whisk together the butter and sugar until creamy then beat

The Inaugural Religious Friday

2008-11-28T09:34:00.003Z

Funkadelic: Talk About Jesus (Westbound Records, 1971?)George Clinton's Funkadelic were known for many things, but keenly-felt religious hymning wasn't one of them. Perhaps that's an oversight on all our parts, as they clearly had "it" in them - "it" being a love for the lord as well as a head full of eyeball-scouringly powerful chemical enhancers. Exemplary work from Bernie Worrell on the old

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

2008-11-26T10:54:00.006Z

Andrew Bird: Effigy (Bella Union, 2009)Mr Bird is "a Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and whistler." He is also a writer of brilliantly mournful songs like Effigy that are a little like Leonard Cohen had the venerable Canadian gloomster spent a little less time on remote Greek islands and a little more time inside with the curtains closed watching vintage Scooby Doo reruns and