Friday 22 February 2013

7 things for 7 days...#5

Apologies for the lack of blogposts over the past couple of weeks - if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I'm currently busy campaigning with the Liberal Democrats in the Eastleigh parliamentary by-election. Normal service will be resumed here shortly, but in the meantime I hope you'll enjoy this flashback of my favourite foodie moments and other random musings from my past week...

Tamarind duck at Tanoshii Fusion

1. Way back in the mists of time when I first started this blog I lived in Winchester. One of my top places to entertain any visiting friends and relatives was a pan-Asian restaurant called Tanoshii Fusion, which my boyfriend and I returned to late last Friday for a romantic dinner after a disastrous Valentine's Day (don't ask!). Their tender roasted duck with a sticky tamarind sauce was the stand-out dish of the night, but everything we ordered was as skilfully cooked and beautifully presented as I'd remembered (see my Instagram for more). The complimentary plate of icecreams to share was the ideal end to our delicious meal, especially as it included my favourite flavour of rich honeycomb and dark chocolate.

2. I try to avoid talking about politics on this blog, but I just wanted to share with you this video from a media visit that I organised last Saturday. Having worked in Hampshire at the 2010 General Election, it's been great to catch up with so many friends during this by-election campaign, plus meet hundreds of other activists who've travelled from right across the country to join us. Everyone's commitment and energy is so inspiring!

Graze box granola and raspberries

3. There's a risk that all of your regular eating habits can be thrown out the window during a by-election campaign, when there's a huge temptation to keep up your energy during the long days by munching on mounds of biscuits, and no chance to cook a real meal when you finally finish for the night. To avoid scurvy and keep the #byelection diet in check I'm filling up on healthy fruit and light lunches like this mixture of Graze cranberry granola and fat-free yoghurt...

Fish and chip supper

...in order to balance out the greasy late evening takeaways such as this mountainous fish and chip supper! Thankfully I've still managed to fit in some early-morning runs as a substitute for my usual gym sessions, clocking up around 37k in 10 days and still counting...let's see if I can total up to a marathon by Polling Day!

Pandan pancakes at Pho

4. Hopefully your Pancake Day was flipping good?! Mine involved a brand new experience...bright green Pandan pancakes, courtesy of the kind people at Pho! My trip to their Spitalfields branch for a dinner review was perfectly timed to coincide with Shrove Tuesday, so there was only one acceptable choice for dessert. I couldn't get enough of the crepe's sweet desiccated coconut filling, and instantly fell in love with their creamy honey icecream with chunks of spicy crystallised ginger. Keep your eyes peeled for my full article once I'm properly back in action soon!

5. If only I could afford to own more of the items on my Fabulous Fashion Pinterest board, then I would look really cool...

Butternut squash and bacon risotto

6. Most weeks this slot in "7 things for 7 days" is reserved for the hottest new recommendations on London's restaurant scene, and other exceptional culinary experiences that I have my eye on. But right now all I long for is to get back into the kitchen of my little flat and do some proper cooking! For me there are few things more therapeutic than stirring a deep pan of risotto, so this rich butternut squash, sage and smoked bacon version is top of my home-cooking hit list.

#littlecat blocking exit to #littleflat

7. Fans of #littlecat need not panic - he is being very well-looked after by a kind friend whilst we are busy electioneering. Needless to say my man and I miss his big eyes and crazy antics dreadfully, so we'll be sure to give him tonnes of extra love and TLC when we return home. If he has his way, we won't be leaving again for a while!

No comments:

Post a Comment