Friday 31 July 2009

SWAT Valley

Just returned from the frontline club where an avid audience watched a rescreening of BBC Panorama's doc on the Swat Valley in Pakistan.


Having travelled in Pakistan and having wished to spend more time amongst the very friendly and kind Pakistani's (one of my favourite top three countries) this struggle against the rocket bearing Taliban or 'miscreants' hiding out in previous paradise, needs sorting... So many mountain refugees now sweltering in summer-city-stan tent ville....

Wednesday 22 July 2009

The Best Vegetarian Burger in London (that's also the World!)


The task has been long, the work has been round the clock, but I am very pleased to pronounce the winner!


Well done (literally) to Exeter Street's Joe Allens! I can't believe it, we have been going there since 1985! and they have only just entered the competition during the final draw...

So without further ado I will mention the proud winners of the 2nd and 3rd prize (and my unbiased choice of runner up!) before describing the burgers! (the fleshy part of the story... groooan!)


2nd place is awarded to Tom Conran's Lucky 7
3rd to the ever popular Lexington Street joint, Mildreds

and my undescriminated against runner up (think 'nuff said already) is to The Veggie Table. (Beware!) har har har...

.....

So in reverse order (though I will keep it brief, because you definietly will be wanting to eat the winner:


The Heavenly Halloumi and the Super Veg burgers at the Veggie Table are both good.

The HH is made predominantly of a greek cypriete cheese (that would be halloumi) with some carrot and other veg so goes nice n Melty.

And the Super Veg is, as they describe it, Nutty-Grainy-Spicy. Made from the grain Quinoa it is suprisingly nutritious although it is cooked from frozen, which is not ideal. But tasty (I was suprised) and full of protein.. its not bad for a runner up! Good with creamy houmous if you're really going to go! (£4 for one in a bun or for two to go)


Mildreds is Brilliant
. A little too crowded, but behing located in the filmy part of Soho this is not suprising. Many other alternatives which are always super good, but we came to talk about the burger which seems not to fail! Made from different vegetables (it changes.. beetroot.. many things) It usually tastes of much more than the basics. Great Texture. Not sure about the price these days.. but it comes with very thick cut potatoes and basil mayo. Takeaways possible too.

Lucky 7, oh what a diner!
Let's find you a picture...
(to the right)


Burger's.. very good, as with chips and the best milkshake made in a choice of three thicknesses with organic I Scream.


And Joe Allen's.. squeezed right at the VERY bottom... but the burger is the very best.

Super buzzy but relaxed atmosphere for those of you not yet acquainted. In the heart of theatre land, dimmed, brick interior filled with posters, candles, little alcoves.

And what better, than a moist, tasty, succulent warm burger, with wasabi mayo and little string fries... eaten with the best company.......

news from winnieworld

Yellow!

Is it the eclipse that has made everyone so friendly today
?

Anyway I will continue in the spirit of appreciation that has been offered to me today whilst teaching yoga at the Mariott's club in County Hall.
Yes I'm in London, for those of you who asked, thank you all for writing :-) that was really nice.

So have decided that dance is cool, a way to flow and have taken up pole, belly and contemporary dance classes across London.

A short video from Elena of the pole dancing school I am going to:



Photographing a sweet band at the mo, promo shots and things like this.. maybe I should have rescheduled the shoot for today? thus bringing a charming smile, versus their hard core scowel.

So teaching yoga, photography, juggling sausages, sassy spirals in glittery heels in dim lit basement clubs and high up in skylit studios barefoot for the release technique, the yoga of now.

Still hoping to study japanese, running in the meantime and yes.. some culture. Two operas last week at the ROH: Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Un ballo in Maschera.

Saturday 18 July 2009

Murder at the Market



Last Thursday, behind the mists of frying leek and pomegranate sausages, was a murder. Now it wasn't planned, this spineless so and so just finally flipped... but it happened on my shift. No Psychiatrist? I got fired!

There's always an impractical queue at the Veggie Table during lunch times.
Punters arrive fresh from their sedentary life styles, thinking that buying this food will bringuy them health. Now it is a kinda bargain, you do get a lot, but it can be a little fetid and stale. Anyway last Thursday, it must have been positively noxious. Do you know that grace actually changes the structure of the food you eat?

Events can never be divorced from preceding ones and last week a staff girly, cracked her golden head open, an injury sustained at work, 5 stitches and the boss freaked because the concussion prevented her from coming to work the next day. Whack whack whack.. he started beating up the nearest cardboard box (the one pictured) yowling, "The English are constitutionally weak. What is wrong with them?" .. but he never paid her sick pay, nor to our manager who's back was in a brace, was actually on the books and whose turn transpired that thunderous Thursday.

So in the interest of mental health and safety we'll actually miss out the gory murder scene (disappointing though that is)and hop past the coagulated blood to a dry bit of swept ground.

fired. It didn't really matter. I knew too much, exactly what had transpired.
Adam mistakenly thought that if he fired the rest of the staff who had not resigned, no one would find out what a mean boss he was. 'But I buy you icecream' he yowled down the phone to his quitting manager, in an attempt to rationalise his abominable behaviour.

The next day he pleaded with me.. Talk to me, tell me. SO I did. And thus I got fired, spine intact and erect.

Will now be working at the Boston Sausage with the underastanding that ethical companies (with regard to the food industry) are not necessarily vegetarian nor even organic, but those who believe that human life is fundamentally the most important aspect of Life and thus that people are Indispensable.

Wednesday 15 July 2009

Real Travel



When travel meant vastly more than lonely planets and package holidays,
Wilfred Thesiger was
exploring the Empty Quarter in Arabia, one of the largest deserts in the world, spanning parts of Saudi, Oman, the Yemen and U.A.E.

Reading Arabian Sands, feels like an honour, a bounty from a waned world, the tome of adventure.

But where do we go next now this visible world has been explored? (Waterstones??) Or the internal cosmos where anything is possible including time travel?


And how do we realise all knowledge beyond the art of astral projection? Do traditional paths (Mystical and religious) hold the only key or are there other ways for us to journey.

Is there a lonely planet for enlightenment? And would we want one anyway?



Monday 6 July 2009

Matcha Latte


Matcha is a powdered green tea that many monks in Japan drink.


It is both stimulating and calming (yes, extremes in one) and should you so desire, (a desireless state) aids meditation.


I'v created a cool, delicious-summer, enzyme rich, could be breakfast, libation. Read: Sprouted hemp and almond milk (made with loved up n imploded 'eau and fresh coconut)...
a Matcha latte!


Nutrient rich, without further ado, here's the recipe:


Need: (organic if possible)




Hemp seeds
Raw Almonds
Coconut
Matcha
Bananas
Imploded Water
Agave nectar



Ok.. How to?

  1. Soak Hemp seeds and almonds in good water for 8 hours.
  2. Peel bananas and break into chunks, put in a bag and freeze.
  3. Drain your seeds n nuts.
  4. Crack the coconut.
  5. Put in a decent blender with imploded water and fresh coconut milk
  6. Whizz, then strain through a hemp sack or muslin
  7. Rinse out blender from left over hull and add coconut flesh and the other ingredients
  8. Whizz again
  9. Serve 'appy!
  10. (Oh and the quantities thing... ya know, whatever feels right today, but probably just one banana pa nana will do.)