Oh baby baby

I am delirious with lack of sleep, my face looks like a reject from madame tussards and I am walking like a zombie with piles...Yes I have had a baby.  This is the first time I have been alone since Friday when I went into labour, and it feels very weird. I am twitchy without the addictive smelling small person in the room , who is being walked around by the husband and his v happy to be (grand) parents while I am supposed to be catching up on sleep...errr so I thought I'd go on the internet instead.

I have so far discovered the following:

Labour REALLY hurts...
Breastfeeding is not straightforward or as easy as it looks in the lovely pictures
I had forgotten just how peculiar I am when short on sleep
Hospital food is better than you think
Midwives and doctors at St Thomas's Hospital are fabulous
It's true that your own baby is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen.
A man who manages to find you lovely slices of cucumber when you are in labour and that's all you fancy eating is worth holding onto.

Normal (ish) service will resume soon.

askhat xx

Twitter time

Hello AskHat,

I am trying to be all multi-media ...please could you tell me how to embed a Twitter/email link into my blog? I would like to do this without having to use one of those ugly/naff Twitter buttons.

Thank you

That's Not My Age http://thatsnotmyage.blogspot.com/

The very lovely that'snotmyage (did you see her mentioned in Stella mag BTW) emailed me with this cry for help the other other day, bemoaning the clunky twitter sign she had on the website. I had a little investigation, and found that you can choose from about 16 different options - including the choice of using the royal we, or me, for you followers. It is still a naff twitter button, but about a third of the size of the one tnmya is using at the moment. The link is below, for anyone else who's had trouble linking through to twitter - but any information on better/bespoke versions gratefully received as always...

http://twitter.com/goodies/buttons#

Burrito time

I was asked recently by local and twitter buddy Maradoll for some good Mexican food recommendations, after she was given a quesadilla that was called a burrito, in a local eaterie. Now, my own experience of Mexican food is mostly of eating bad food at Cafe Pacifico's in Langley St, after a lot of tequila - in the days when I and my friends thought that was cool, so not exactly up to date...
As Maradoll is a San Fran foodie, who knows her stuff, the pressure was on and I knew I'd have to call in some help on this one. The cavalry arrived in the shape of my Latino ex-pat friend Jason, who carefully wrote me a list of Mexican eateries that live up to his expectations in London. It's a very short list, and untested by me - but I trust Jason, knowing his good taste. As always, if you have any suggestions to add - please do.


Benito's Hat (Must be good with a name like this): One branch in Goodge St and looks tasty - Burritos are the recommendation here: http://www.benitos-hat.com/

Tortilla : Two branches - one in Angel, one is Southwark. Again, Jason recommends the burritos: http://www.tortilla.co.uk/

Mestizo: This is Jason's recommendation for the full meal deal...it's not cheap, but Jason says it is good. It's day of the dead celebrations here from the 27th Nov until the 2nd of Nov, so could be a good time to visit. http://www.mestizomx.com/

Wahaca: This recommendation comes from Liberty London Girl - who has such impeccable taste in all things, that I'd be mad not to add it. Plus, Tomasina Meirs who set this small chain up, is an ex winner of Masterchef - and I think you all know about my obsession with that! Http://www.wahaca.co.uk/

And as for the tequila...all I can recommend for that is don't drink a whole bottle in a night.

Askhat xx

Masterchef obsessional

So, I am addicted to MasterChef Professional. I can't decide whether I like it better than the usual Masterchef, but I am enjoying being incredibly scathing when the contestants can't do something simple like joint a chicken (like I can ..cough cough ahem) or cook their green beans properly. I am also mildly obsessed by CHEF Michel's rolling eyes and Gregg Wallace's unlikely dimple. Anyway - what that led onto was thinking about my favourite cookbooks, and the writers who I rely on again and again to do something interesting from the organic veg box. So in that vein here are my list of most loved and stained cookery books:

Anna Del Conte - Applecake and Artichokes - this book is lovely and my favourite discover from it is a warm salad of cauliflower with a pinenut and anchovy dressing. Worth it for that alone.

Nigel Slater - Real Fast Food got me through uni, then my little bro stole my copy. A lovely colleague replaced it for me and I haven't let it out of my hot little grasp since. This book, and Appetite are the regular weekday dinner inspirations - lentils with spinach and lemon and everyday soup being top stained pages. His roast chicken is the husband's favourite way to do a roast and I'm certainly not complaining.

Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham - Roast Chicken and Other stories. A slender volume, and very partial to offilish items, but some favourites including my chosen way to do roast chicken, as well as vinegar chicken which is an elegant fast dinner.

The Times Calender Cookbook - Katie Stewart. This one is out of print, but was one of the first cookbooks I used as a child. The falling apart paperback that my mother owned, was swapped for her mother's hardback when her mother died and I actually wailed when I discovered the paperback had been sent to Oxfam. The following Christmas I was given a hardback copy of my own and it has been in solid use ever since. Great for simple classic baking and general childhood nostalgia.

Rick Stein's Food Heroes - a few really loved recipes - our favourite is Lamb Naverin - a very good dinner party special.

English Food - Jane Grigson - the best recipe for yorkshire pudding I've ever used. Worth it for that alone, as well as the fascinating historical recipes.

That's all for now - but do let me know what recipe books you can't live without - or what you think of Gregg Wallace's patented fork technique...

Fashion for over forties

Now I've got a few years before I need to put myself in this category...but only a few (sob). So I like to keep a weather eye on what my (slightly) older compatriots are doing in the style stakes and from what I see my tears may be unnecessary. In fact, when I saw the fabulous http://thatsnotmyage.blogspot.com blog I thought I'll need those extra years to get my style up to scratch. TNMA's blog is tackling the satorial street style of the over forties, in the same way the hip scenesters are for the young folk, to great acclaim.

Keep up with the big girls and boys here: http://thatsnotmyage.blogspot.com who are at london fashion week all this week.

Focus pull

Hmm, so you may have noticed that the useful drinking, eating and general stuff posts stopped a while ago...
Well, m'lud I'm afraid I got myself with child, and didn't really want to do anything for three months.

But I'm back now - with a bit more energy and a mildly obsessive interest in well priced, stylish maternity clothes and good non alcoholic drinks. So I'll be back very soon with some good tips (I hope) but in the meantime am off to go camping, while I still only take up a single mattress...

Askhat x

Partisan London delights part 1

Dear Askhat.com,

I want to check out London--any suggestions on where to go or not to go?

Yours,

Karen, San Francisco

Dear Karen,

Blimey! Now this is a bit of a wide open question on first glance, but I do know you are a writer, so I'll try and get some literary delights in, but frankly this is a perfect chance to list some of my favorite London things! In fact, I'll have to split this post otherwise I'll give away all my favorite places in one go. So I'll start with food/drink and entertainment - culture, shopping and oddities as well as places to avoid to will follow soon...

Food:

Canteen (any branch) http://www.canteen.co.uk/

I love this modern british all day restaurant. Friendly staff, lovely designed spaces and the simple but wide ranging choices make this a winner for me. Pop in for a bacon sarnie in the morning, or a pie of the day at lunchtime or a toasted muffin and pot of tea tea for teatime!

Morgan M: http://www.morganm.com/

This is my very, very favorite and extremely special restaurant. The chef used to work at Admiralty at Somerset House, which I have a soft spot for on account of it being where I met the husband, on an ice rink. Anyway we had such an extraordinary meal at Admiralty that when I heard the chef had moved, I stalked him. Obviously. So when he opened his own place, in Islington, we went there for the husband's birthday. It was fantastic - each course a delight, the matched wines just right and the ambience and service incredibly special. If you're in the mood for a wondrous splurge then this is the place.

Patisserie Valerie and Konditor and Cook :

http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/
http://www.konditorandcook.com/

Pat Val is a Soho stalwart - windows of elegantly tiered cakes to ooh and ahh over and the home of many a gossip filled, calorie laden half hour. Pat Val wins on the proper French pastries and old fashioned waitresses. I personally prefer the cake from Konditor and Cook (it's the only place I've bought a cake for a family birthday if I didn't have time to make my own) but there aren't so many sit down versions of K and C...


Drinks and Dancing

Claridges Bar. (Bond St tube) http://www.claridges.co.uk/

Now this I love, partly because the staff are SO charming, and partly because the glorious art deco toilets are marvellous. I began a rather elegant hen night for a friend, at the bar here, and by the time we left the delightful bar man had given us all one of the Claridges velvety red roses and fended off the overexcited hotel guest who'd tried to give us his room number. The drinks are good too, but that's not the main reason for going there for me. Wear your best "oh this old thing" understanded glamour, grab a table and watch the eurotrash and mayfair locals while drinking a perfect champagne cocktail.

Also does a great afternoon tea

Gordon's wine bar (Charing Cross) http://www.gordonswinebar.com

Whatever your intentions are, I've never ever left here and not been roaring drunk. Great fun in summer and winter and unlike anywhere else.

"Ain't nothing but the blues" Kingly Street, W1B (nearest tube Oxford Circus)

Don't go here if you want to stay sober, avoid strangers or have an aversion to standing so close to strangers that you can smell the soap powder they use on their underwear. Do go here if you like live blues music, enjoy meeting new people and discovering the special time shift which a good night has - of turning 10 pm into 3 am in a mere nano second.

Rivoli Ballroom:

This is a place rather than a night and with it's red and gold decor, properly sprung dance floor and ladies powder rooms you'll feel like you're in a film. And the Rivoli has been on screen more often that most - music videos, films, photoshoots and tv series have all used the Rivoli's athmospheric glamour as a backdrop.Nights include swing dancing, salsa and all kinds of dressed up, super ott nights which are great for imagining yourself in a different era.

Classic Pub:

I like a pub with a fire. I like anywhere with a fire really but for a classic pub I think you need one. Also wood panelling and slightly ropy looking bar stools and an old man and a dog in a corner. Now most god pubs have become gastro pubs, which are nice, but not the same, so trying to give you a classic pub is hard. So here are two good options - and dear readers , do please add your own suggestions.

The Angel, Rotherhithe. http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=263

A pub with a view over the river thames, in a slightly unsalubrious part of London and a whole heap of history (the mayflower left from hereabouts) has got to be a london classic. Fire? Check. Wood Panelling? Check. Tiny rooms, tiny balcony over river and large beer garden on the riverside? Double checked...

The Coach and Horses, Greek St:

This is a true Soho pub - a mix of anyones, no-ones and well knowns all squashed in together to have a drink. The fun is in the crowd - don't expect bar snack, or great drinks but enjoy the people watching.


I know there are lots more that I'll remember as soon as I've posted, but hopefully these will do for now.


Yours in Londonness,

AskHat