Chops!

Started the weekend with a super rarity, drinks in Farringdon. Been trying to meet up with a couple of the Fareham boys who are commuters too and work in the area, and this week no-one had a good excuse not to do it, so it's all on - To
The Eagle. It's a very famous joint, the first gastropub ever. Not been there before, though I've been to many that are apparently imitators, so it was a bit of a surprise. It's a small old boozer with most of the bar given over to a kitchen, and a great reputation for food, and a good range of drinks too. I had olives to start from their small tapas then a great rigatoni made with aubergines and things. The other chaps (Rich and Ro) were more adventurous, going for cockles and anchovies to start, and then pork belly (too fatty - duh) and the biggest lamb chops I ever saw. A great evening, only marred by a huge trek home, though that was eased by a cab to the station. Had an age to wait for the vomit comet, though I was slightly entertained by a huge police operation at the station. There was an assault of some kind on a train into Waterloo, which resulted in a few police an dozens of community support types running around Keystone Cops style trying to track the miscreant down. I think it was a flasher, was it you?

Clare was off to see The Cure at The Albert Hall Saturday night, so I had big ideas to achieve at lot on my own. This didn't quite pan out, but I did have a quiet night in and do quite a bit of cooking. Had an urge to make some soup, a spicy cabbage number so I looked up some recipes. Got a big list of spices from a couple of recipes and did my shopping, but when I got back could I find the same recipes? Didn't save them and had no joy, so a lot of the herbs and spices went unused. Made a splendid batch of soup, and some dahl to go with our curries in the week. Everyone's turned their noses up at the idea of the soup, even before I'd got the pot on, but it turned out great. It's not slowly stewed cabbage, boiled until it turns stinking and grey, it's a light and spicy stock with half a head of shredded cabbage added at the end, maybe I will post the recipe later. Something for you to look forward to there then. Watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire later, didn't like it at all at first, but got into it later. There's quite a cast to this one, though I couldn't figure out who Ralph Fiennes was, he was Lord Voldemort of course.

Up early this morning and went for a stroll, trying to find a rumoured new bar, Impressions, on Tontine Street. No joy at all, I think it might be a wind up. Saw lots of interesting half developed buildings that I wanted to snap pictures of, be nice to look back on when the area is fully done, but the camera was playing up.

Did some work on my gigography, finding a few more out there too, and while there's only ever a tiny crossover I'm saving them in del.icio.us...

Now Clare's back and we've had a mini Clarke Cup, a game of cricket on the dartboard which Clare won, though it was fairly close. then a best out of five on the pool table, and it's over to me. Then after the official game, a few more frames which saw me slipping, but, it doesn't count, see? Then Clare invented a new game , which we'd play for money, I should have been suspicious at this point... It's round the clock, but starting from twenty, whoever loses has to pay whoever goes out first whatever number they are left on. So I was still on three when Clare went out, so three quid - could be expensive if you're really bad. Foolishly perhaps I played again and lost another fiver, but took it back on a winner takes all game of pool. So we're all evens. Got to head round to fix the father-in-law's computer, and then heading back later to cook more curry. A good weekend all told!

UPDATE: And the Clarke Cup issue is resolved, a close round of cards and then a dull game of backgammon and Clare has defeated me :-(

An evening of chilli pie and TV crime drama awaits.

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