The time has come for a fresh start.

To start a new, seperate blog in the same vein as Crumpet; well, same same but different.

You can find it here:

http://claremoore2.wordpress.com/

All the best,

C

Sometimes I recite Shakespeare in my head.

I’ve no idea how it got there.

Sometimes I think it is just made up by my odd little imagination.

But here is some real Shakespeare for now…

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be:
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In those freckles live their savours:
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone:
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.

Fairy-A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Are these or are these not quirky, funny and a tad awesome?

Courtesy of Hola Ático.

http://holaatico.blogspot.mx/2012/07/izziyana-suhaimi.html

Sydney suddenly seems to be teeming with new ‘eateries’. I say eatery  because they’re not ordinary cafes, restraints, bars, taverns, inns, diners or canteens. They’re moveable green-walled caravans purveying vegetarian food mastery in the form of chickpea based burger magic (The Vegie Patch Van).

 Or they’re smallholdings in the middle of Sydney’s industrial suburbs where they keep chickens, sell fresh juices and make rather spectacular chicken, sweet corn and sweet mysteriously yummy pies (The Grounds of Alexandria). You may even find yourself queuing up ‘school canteen’ style at Kitchens by Mike for their daily dishes and house-made breads.

The Grounds

New bars run by gorgeous bearded and/or long haired men or 50s pinup look-alikes with head scarves and burlesque tatts are popping up everywhere, serving drinks in jars to people who are willing to perch on any kind of seating from ‘chic milk crates’ to bicycle seat/hat stand combinations, piano stools and railway sleepers. Arcadia, Dry Land, The Dock, Tapeo and the Pitt Street Diner are transforming Redfern. Grandmas (soon to open a second bar in Surry Hills, or so rumour has it), The Baxter Inn and various little hideaway bars have enlivened otherwise boring CBD backstreets with whisky (whiskey >?) and mulled wine.

The Boys at Arcadia Liquor

 Good Living/the SMH/the Times seem to be tapping into the existence of these new bars/eateries and renders them well-known within weeks of them opening. This in turn seems to be sparking a  bitter, unfair cycle of little bars becoming found, quickly spoken about, quickly packed, quickly swarmed by people every day of the week and in some circumstances quickly passé. Ah the curse of living in metropolitan cities. The trick seems to be to find the bars whenever and wherever you find them, make friends with the bar tenders/bouncers, become recognisable and continue to go to the bars, even when it is packed, because if you like a place, you like it and you should enjoy them regardless.

The Dock

Grandmas

The Baxter

Trends in  bars and eateries may come and go, but the memories of 8 layer burgers, thrice fried chips, apricot danishes and the cocktail recipes which some bartenders may share will be timeless.

CM

I have something to admit…I’m a wee bit in love with River Cottage- in all its reincarnations: ‘River Cottage Winters on the Way’, ‘River Cottage Food Heroes’, ‘Escape to River Cottage’, ‘River Cottage Road Trip’, ‘River Cottage Gone Fishing’, ‘Return to River Cottage’, ‘River Cottage Forever’, ‘Beyond River Cottage’, ‘River Cottage Autumn’, ‘River Cottage Summer’s Here’…and I’m stopping there. Basically I can has grrrreat admirations for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall- even if I needed to look up his name to spell it.

Reasons why I Heart River Cottage:

1)      Awesome recipes of every persuasion- sweet, savoury and every measure in between. All  of which are available online, free of charge.

2)      The ethos of ‘small holding’ and living off the land- how he plunged into it, worked hard and was not to proud to ask for help. He didn’t start off his River Cottage setup already knowing everything- he learned as he went along, he therefore remains human and not “Goddess-like” if you catch my drift.

3)      That Hugh has: worn a homemade bunny fur bikini, spilled things on screen and not had it edited out, stuffed up on screen, and swore on screen, drunken cider and worn big glasses repeatedly…with no hipster overtones!

There are many more reasons, but I think you should go out (or just put on the food channel) and discover them for yourselves. Reasons could include his recipes for rabbit pie, pigeon pitta-pockets, crumbles of any kind and his Hot Shot Chilli Cocktails.

Nom nom.