I just loved this essay that reads like a love letter to cookbook stores. I go as often as I can to Books for Cooks in London and made a special trip to Kitchen Arts and Letters when I was in New York (nearly four years ago now). I like to go alone, because browsing and choosing cookbooks is such a wonderfully calming task that I hate to feel rushed, or worry about whether my companion is having as good a time as I am, or whether they are bored. (To be fair, this applies to book browsing generally, an activity I find best done alone.)

The internet has been awash with a Gilmore Girls revival courtesy of Netflix. I’ve only ever been vaguely into Gilmore Girls but, after finishing and submitting a book proposal, the time felt just about ripe for a box set marathon. My favourite of all the things I stumbled upon was this article on the #GilmoreGirlsDiet. It sounds ridic, except perhaps as an accompaniment to box set marathons…

This short video – an animated snapshot of Gloria Steinem talking to Sally Ride (the first American woman in space) is just wonderful. When I was 12 I desperately wanted to be an astronaut and even the Apollo 13 movie didn’t stop my enthusiasm (if anything, it made me even more fascinated). My dad had been a stargazing aficionado as a youngster and I ‘borrowed’ all his books and magazines on the space race, rockets, and the moon landing (I still have this vast collection in storage). Later, I loved (I still love actually) Moon Dust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth, an account of trying to talk to the remaining nine astronauts who went to the moon, because some day soon, there will be no one who can account first hand for that journey. (And speaking of, Edgar Mitchell of Apollo 14, passed away last week.)

There has been a severe drought in South Africa this summer and the consequences on food prices are starting to be seen in increases in basic foodstuffs.

Especially for Jen: pistachio millefueille 

I haven’t done much planning around what I want to do this year (um, yeah, I am aware it is now February and really, year plans should happen in January but whatevs) except one thing: start a Cookbook Club. This is still in its planning stages but I have at least three eager participants already and after reading the article, I now have a better idea of how to structure it! So yay! (We had a version of this for dinner on Sunday but it was more potluck than cookbook club. It was epic.)

The trailer for Michael Pollan’s Cooked series is here. Food porn and foodieness galore.

Cute animals alert!

Wholemeal apple cake. I had my first veg box delivery at the weekend! (I know right, foodie alert!) I’ve been wanting to set one up for ages and finally took the plunge. I got a ridiculously large white cabbage (which I cooked for supper on Sunday, like you would spinach – with cream, onions and nutmeg) but I need some ideas for the rest of it. I also got potatoes and carrots (still covered in earth), some tomatoes, a cucumber, and some lettuce, and then a variety of fruit, including a number of apples which (given all the other fruit I have to eat) I’ve been contemplating turning into the apple cake because it just looks so pretty.

Some cool friends of mine have started a blog-based reading list. Each month has themes and it is for all of us who struggle to find the time to read. Think of it as an online bookclub collective. I intend to submit things for this months theme ‘new beginnings’.

And just in case you’re exhausted by all the reading, here is a short video on writing advice. 

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