Current Music Favourites: Jack White and Rammstein

A couple of albums I've recently gotten hold of are Jack White's debut solo album "Blunderbuss", and the second album from Rammstein, "Sehnsucht".

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I first got into Jack White's music when I heard "Sea of Cowards" by The Dead Weather. I fell in love with both of their albums and the vocals from both himself and The Kills' Alison Mosshart. It feels kinda strange to call Blunderbuss his debut album, seeing as Jack White has been around for years and is such a widely acknowledged musician, but this is the first time he's stepped away from the many bands he's part of. 

Blunderbuss is a collection of bluesy-rock tracks, each one toying with different styles but still managing to flow as a consistent album, reflecting on the difficulties of relationships and love. Some of my fave songs include 'Freedom at 21', 'Love Interruption' and 'Sixteen Saltines'. 

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Rammstein are still getting a lot of plays off my iTunes; the excitement from seeing them back in March has yet to wear off. I finally got around to getting their second album, "Sehnsuht" (German for longing), released all the way back in 1997. 

Rammstein's first couple of albums are a lot more industrial/electro sounding than their later releases which is what I love about these tracks (I grew up listening to my dad's Soft Cell and John Foxx records so I love good electronica). I first heard some of these songs on their live DVD, Volkerball, so it's really interesting to hear the studio versions, which tend to differ quite substantially as the keyboards and sound effects can be better appreciated when listening to the album. 

This album has some of my favourite Rammstein songs on it, including 'Du Hast', 'Engel' (which is stunning live) and the title track 'Sehnsuht'.

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Are there any particular albums/bands you're really enjoying listening to at the moment?

*Both of the images in this post are not mine and are taken from each album's Wikipedia page. 

China Miéville - 'The Scar'

The Scar is the second of three books written by China Miéville set in his fictional world of Bas-Lag. The first, Perdido Street Station, is set mainly in the large city central to the stories, New Crobuzon, and introduces readers to the vast range of races that inhabit this world, including humans, cactacae (enormous plant people), khepri (a race where the females have human bodies but their heads consist of a large scarab beetle), and garuda (humanoid birds of prey). The books are science fiction/fantasy, along with other influences, and include magic and steampunk technology.

The Scar moves away from the city of New Crobuzon to explore other parts of the Bas-Lag world by sea. The story begins with the characters sailing away from the city. Before their journey is complete they are captured by pirates and become citizens of the pirates' city of Armada, a floating city on the sea comprised of a huge number of ships. While some of the captured settle into their new life, Bellis, the main character, is desperate to return to New Crobuzon and in her attempts to find a way home becomes wrapped up in the plans that Armada's bizarre scarred leaders are leading the city towards.

Having time off this summer has meant I have been able to spend whole afternoons sat with this book, immersing myself in the events, and I haven't been able to put it down once I've got stuck into it. There are plenty of action and twists throughout due to the secrecy and controversy of the characters' plans, and coupled with the writing this is an excellent book.

China Miéville's style of writing is difficult to accustom to at first, but it's worth bearing with because once you're used to it, you can appreciate his beautiful use of language to describe the incredible characters and events that he has created. His writing is some of the best I have come across, with an expansive vocabulary that brings this strange and exotic world to life.

So far I have read all three of the books based in Bas-Lag: Perdido Street Station, The Scar and The Iron Council. The series aren't a trilogy, so you don't need to have read the preceding books to understand the story; however I personally think Perdido Street Station is the best place to start, as it goes into slightly more detail introducing the different races and the lifestyle of the world.

Cherry Traybake

Sea breeze carrying smells from the restaurants nearby; the racket of seagulls and children all day; sunlight pouring over the wooden floors. This is my new flat and I love it. It's bigger and brighter than my previous living spaces, which makes up for the fact that it's also the noisiest place I've lived (but in a comforting, bustling kind of way).

After 3 years of tiny, dark kitchens, this one feels enormous by comparison (and has windows!) and I'm still learning my way around it. I couldn't wait long to pull out my baking stuff and christen the kitchen with sugar and butter, in the form of a sponge cake studded with cherry pieces and drizzled in icing.

The cake cuts into thin slices, with just a smidge of icing to ensure that sweet tooth is satisfied, but is light enough for almost guilt-free second helpings (or so I'm telling myself).

Cherry Traybake 

Adapted from a Mary Berry recipe.

A light cake dotted with cherry pieces, perfect for a summer afternoon tea. 



Cuts into 12 - 16 

Ingredients

• 100g glacé cherries
• 125g self raising flour
• 25g ground almonds
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 100g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C/Fan 140C/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a deep 20cm x 30cm baking tray.
2. Put 25g of the cherries aside. Chop the remaining 75g glacé cherries into quarters. Rinse under cold water to remove syrup and dry on kitchen paper.
3. Sift flour, almonds and baking powder into a large bowl. Add in the butter, caster sugar and eggs and beat with an electric whisk until combined.
4. Gently fold in the chopped and rinsed cherries. 
5. Pour the mixture into the baking tray and smooth over the top using the back of a spoon. Bake for 40-50 minutes (keeping an eye on it after half an hour) in the centre of the oven, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then turn out and leave to cool completely.
7. For the topping, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add cold water, a spoon at a time, until a pourable consistency is reached. Drizzle over the cake. 
8. Chop the remaining glacé cherries into small pieces and scatter over the cake. Leave to set, then cut into pieces and serve. 

Bye Bye Southampton...

After spending the year in Southampton on work placement as part of my uni course, I'm now back in Plymouth ready (just about) for my final year. Our last night in Southampton was spent at our favourite place to eat, The Cowherds, located just minutes from where we were living at the edge of the Common. After a long day spent packing and cleaning, a delicious meal enjoyed outdoors was necessary.

We were accompanied by my mum and dad, who were down to help us with the move (it's scary how much stuff we've managed to accumulate and we're only 21!).

After sharing starters of fried calamari with spicy mayonnaise, chicken liver, pork and mushroom paté, and goat's cheese crostini, we indulged in mains from the wide selection offered by the country pub/restaurant.

Spanish chicken with chorizo and potatoes

Wild boar and chorizo burger

Lamb shoulder with dauphinoise potatoes

Handmade salmon and broccoli fishcakes with mixed salad

As usual, all the food was stunning and full of flavour - we've eaten here a few times while in Southampton and have always been impressed. With both incredible food and a gorgeous location, the Cowherds is perfect for a summer's evening meal. It'll definitely be a place I'll miss!

Barcelona!

Hola!

I've been super busy lately due to moving this month and popping home to catch up with family and friends. In between the madness, my best friend and I hopped on a plane and had a few days off in sunny Spain. While we planned to spend most of our time in Salou soaking up some rays by the pool or on the beach, cocktails in hand, after a couple of lazy days we couldn't resist the opportunity to get the train to Barcelona before flying home.

After figuring out the public transport and stocking up on hay fever tablets (I love Spain but it turns out it doesn't like me!), we arrived in Barcelona, ready to explore.

As we only had a few hours there and were oblivious to what was actually in the city, we wandered around narrow streets, getting distracted by each new one until we'd completely lost all sense of direction.

In need of refreshment we drifted through the market, in awe at the mountains of large colourful fruits, before deciding on passion fruit ice cream to head back into the sunshine with.

We didn't get chance to check out many of the sights of Barcelona, but I loved what I saw of the city and will definitely have to come back to discover more of it's hidden shops and try out lots more food!

Hope you're having a lovely summer!

Blues Bar and Grill, Plymouth

Being back in Plymouth for a few days while flat hunting, after not being here for over a year, would be a crime if we hadn't treated ourselves to a meal here. One of my favourite restaurants, the Bar and Grill is located down in the Barbican, the historic, quaint part of Plymouth next to the sea, and a bustling hotspot for food, drink and music. I fell in love with the tourist frequented part of Plymouth from my first visit. While my feelings for the rest of the city have waxed and waned during my first two years of university, the Barbican reminds me why I originally chose to move to Plymouth.

The Bar and Grill is slightly apart from the rows of restaurants and bars that line the length of the Barbican, next to the harbour. Inside awaits two floors - the main bar downstairs with tables and sofas, and a corner allocated to the night's music act. In the evening the upstairs is opened, extending the restaurant capacity.

The wood-panelled walls are adorned with photographs of blues legends - Billie Holiday, Robert Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan - complementary to the choice of music. There are also live acts playing most evenings, including regulars such as Vince Lee and Al Wallis (a.k.a The Wildcards), Jill Cole and Thomas Ford. My fiancé, having a huge love for blues music, is in heaven in this place, and being introduced to local musicians is definitely a highlight of living in Plymouth.

And now onto the most important part. The food is, quite simply, amazing. Everything I've tried here has never failed to impress (and believe me, that's a fair few meals). Lots of the dishes are American inspired (think Cajun spices and Tex Mex sides) and there is plenty to choose from - pasta dishes including huge homemade meatballs; nachos smothered in salsa, sour cream and guacamole; and seafood dishes making the most of the restaurant's fantastic location.

But the must-try part of the menu is the burgers.

Juicy, thick homemade burgers chargrilled to give an incredible smokey taste, served in buns with chips and quite possibly the best coleslaw I've ever had. And if that wasn't enough the burgers come with a variety of toppings to choose from.

On this occassion, Tom went for the bacon, cheese and barbecue burger.

I opted for a burger topped with a generous helping of perfectly spiced chilli and sour cream.

Much needed and appreciated after a day trawling through Plymouth looking for our new home for the year!

Baked Eggs and Tomatoes

So this is now officially my summer holiday, and I have time off since finishing placement last Friday. Well, if flat hunting subsequently followed by moving, writing my placement report and starting my dissertation work, as well as trying to get as much overtime at work as possible can be considered time off. But let's be honest, I'd be bored otherwise.

I thought I'd share a recipe I discovered a while back now and have made many times since - it's so easy as it's all made in one pan, can be as filling or as light as you like depending on what you have with it, and it's versatile as to what herbs/spices you fancy throwing in there. And it's vegetarian, so great for sharing amongst a group. 

The main ingredients are eggs, peppers, onions and a tin of tomatoes - I tend to have these in anyway as usually they're the base of almost everything I eat (also on my summer to-do list: try out new foodie things!). Add in a sprinkle of oregano, some paprika, chilli powder, parmesan - whatever you have to hand or are in the mood for. To satisfy meat cravings, fry some bacon pieces or a couple of sausages (skins removed and meat chopped) along with the onions. Chorizo would also be brilliant in this. 

If you're hungry, serve on top of a plate of pasta with garlic bread on the side. To enjoy it for lunch or as a lighter meal, make some couscous and salad to go with it. This would also make a good brunch with some warm, crusty bread. 

Baked Eggs and Tomatoes

Slightly spicy tomatoes are topped with eggs and cheese and baked in the oven - great for serving at any time of the day.


Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 red or yellow pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder (to taste)
• 4 large eggs
• Parmesan (Optional)
• 1-2 spring onions, chopped (Optional)
• Couscous or pasta, to serve
• Bread, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan oven.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions, garlic and peppers and fry until softened. 
3. Tip in the tin of of tomatoes and add the oregano, paprika and cayenne (or herbs/spices of your choice to taste).
4. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes have cooked down and are less watery. 
5. Crack the eggs into the pan, evenly spacing them out. Sprinkle parmesan over each egg, and extra cayenne pepper if desired. 
6. Place the pan into the oven on the top shelf (watching out for the handle when you take it out again!)
7. Bake for around 10 minutes or so, until the eggs are cooked to your liking (I tend to do mine quite well done). A couple of minutes before the eggs are done, sprinkle the spring onion over the whole of the pan.