Monday, February 27, 2012

Inspiration for a Monday - Poirot

I love Poiroit - both Agatha Christies books and the series for television starring David Suchet.

Not only is it the clothing that I love, but the sets are always perfect.  The props and costume/make-up departments always make me believe the story all the more.  In my quest to steal the style of all the lovely ladies and a bit of Poirot's OCD I have put together some basic information and some good references for those who have also been put under Poirot's spell.





Here is Hercule Poirot in the one I watched most recently Death in the Clouds (a murder is committed on a flight from Paris to London)





Here is where Poirot lives in London and works from.  In the series the apartments are referred to as Whitehaven Mansions but are in actual fact: Florin Court, on Charterhouse Square in Clerkenwell.  It was built in 1936 by Guy Morgan and Partners.  Poirot's address is 56B/28 Whitehaven Mansions, London and his phone number is Trafalgar 8137.



   Here is the view from an apartment in the building currently for sale for 250 000 pounds.  Follow this link the view the property details.  Note the pool and roof terrace photos on the link.

 
 

Here we see Poirot having his breakfast in his apartment.  He has a boiled egg and a piece of toast cut into 9 squares (no crusts) each with a small blob of jam on (this I have seen in the one where Poirot goes to his country house for the weekend).




This is a clear shot of the perfection with which Poirot dresses.  He always wears a well-tailored suit - even to the beach and has a fresh posy in his lapel pin (specially made for the series and often refered to as "tussie mussie").  Poirot accouterments are always spotless and he is definitely of the maxim"less is more" and "quality over quantity".  In many episodes Poirot is showed alining his dressing table items, removing non-existent fluff from his sleeve, waxing his mustache and husbanding his gloves.  A lesson I could well learn as when I come home mostly I "dump" all of my bags and kick my shoes off!  Here is a link that will give your more information on David Suchet's Poirot and his costume.


 Poirot is inevitably brought a case when he is about to go on a holiday, is coming down with a cold or is about to take a reprieve (though most begrudgingly).  Often Poirot stories feature a beautiful women in some sort of trouble, a older and more suspicious aunt, a bohemian man, a foreign medical/science/business man and occasionally an aging colonel. 
 

Here are some of the women I have found to be most intriguing and have me reaching for high-waisted paints, shawls and  finger-waving my hair (or attempting to).



  







I am also pleased to note that there aee thousands of images on the web of Poirot style and stills from all of the episodes/films.  There is even quite a few games following Poirot quests  - here are a few stills - some of them looking quite realistic:


 






Here is the sources for the game shots.




  

Other sources for information on Poirot:











Thursday, February 23, 2012

Menu Plan

Here is my menu plan for 24/2/12 - 1/3/12

Week 1

Friday
B - Grandma's breakfast tomatoes (recipe coming soon), boiled egg and toast soldiers
L - Tuna melt
D - French Onion Soup

Saturday
B - Home made muesli with yoghurt
L - leftovers
D - out

Sunday
B - out
L - out
D - Mochi with tamari and ginger (solo meal)

Monday
B - Boiled egg and toast soldiers
L - Peanut butter sandwich
D - Zucchini chips with sweet onion dip and sausages (beef and vegetarian)

image and recipe from here


Tuesday
B - Mushrooms on toast
L - Sausage sandwich (the best thing about having sausages for dinner) with mustard
D - Bread Crumb and Porcini Pasta (from Donna Hay's Fast, Fresh, Simple and the recipe is online here)

Wednesday
B - Mushrooms on toast
L - Leftover pasta
D - Baked potatoes with toppings


Thursday
B - Peanut butter bread
L - out (shopping day so hopefully agadashi tofu)
D - Fish Cakes (again Donna Hay - recipe here)




 Week 2

Friday
B - Poached eggs with hollandaise sauce on toast
L -
D - Sweet potato burgers

image and recipe here


Saturday
B - Pancakes (husband cooking)
L -
D - Chicken breast stuffed with cheese and bacon.  Leftover burger pattie with melted cheese (veggie option) and salad

Sunday
B - Muesli and yoghurt
L - Freezer meal
D - Homemade sausage rolls (lamb and rosemary/ TVP with ketchup manis and ginger)

Monday
B - Soy Milk Smoothie (berry)
L - Leftovers
D - Wild Rice Salad 

image here and recipe and image here


Tuesday
B - Soy Milk Smoothie with banana and chia
L - Tuna melt or leftover burger
D - Leftovers

Wednesday
B - Smoothie (berry) and peanut butter bread
L - Leftover rice salad
D - Caprese Salad (Donna Hay: Fast, Fresh and Simple p 72) and Garlic Prawn Pasta (Donna Hay: Fast, Fresh and Simple p 76)


Thursday
B - Boiled Egg and toast
L - Salad Box
D - Roast Veggie and Feta tart (add bacon for the husband)


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Meal Plan - a little late



I have had a crazy but very exciting week. My best friend got married and I was lucky enough to be asked to be her bridesmaid.  Here is a picture of what I wore and how beautiful she looked:





Here is my menu plan that I am already in the middle of and have not really followed at all!  I am trying to cook from my pantry and freezer with only a small shop done for fresh fruit and veg (supposedly happening in the middle of the meal plan).  I have left out lunches because I did not really plan for them and they usually end up a mix of leftovers and easy things to make like cous cous.





Week 1

Friday -  day before wedding
B - out
L - out
D - out

Saturday
B - out
L - out
D - out

Sunday
B - Scrambled eggs
L - --
D - Quesadillas

Monday
B - boiled egg and toast soilders
L
D - Hot smoked salmon and vegetable quiche

Tuesday
B - Oatmeal
L -
D - Prawn toasts and chinese greens

Wednesday
B - Banana and soy milk smoothie
L
D - Bouef Bourgonion/ Vegetable Stew

Thursday
B - Peanut butter toast
L
D - leftovers


Week 2
Friday
B - Baked Beans
L
D - out for dinner/freer meal


Saturday
B - Poached eggs and breakfast tomatoes
L
D - dumplings and laksa

Sunday
B - crumpets
L
D - baked eggs with spinach (from the book Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights - the website is worth a visit just for the graphics)

Monday
B - baked beans on toast with melted cheese
L
D- Avocado and Prawn brown rice sushi

Tuesday
B - Oatmeal
L
D - Pasta bake

Wednesday
B - baked beans
L
D - leftovers

Thursday
B - oatmeal
L
D - mochi with tamari and ginger and miso soup **


**This meal is something my husband will not eat - he would rather be hungry - just so you know.








Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Recipe - Apricot Paste and Vintage Apricot Sauce

Recently I meet with some friends for lunch at the Simone Logue cafe and as usual before I went I had to look at the reviews and the menu and decide what I would be having.  When looking at the website I saw the Ms Logue had a blog and that on this blog she had some reciepes.

Now, living in Australia a lot of the blogs that I love are all skewed towards the opposite season and while I do dream of cooking what I see, I don't often remember it six months later so I was pleased that Ms Logue's blog had some recipes that I could make use of now.

Loving cheese as much as I do I thought that I would attempt to make her Apricot Paste (the recipe is on her blog under November 23) as it sounded so easy.  And as things that generally sound too easy - I found this was the case - not that I found it hard but that I had to save the recipe when made paste wouldn't set.

The taste however was amazing - I used it as a sauce for sweets that night.  To remedy the problem of the past not setting, I used agar agar powder which is made from a sea vegetable - and therefore suitable for vegetarians whereas gelatin - being animal based is not.

I have been thinking about using agar agar for ages, so much so that I have three packets of the stuff!  I love Maggie Beer's recipes and she creates a lot of savoury jellies that I have been wanting to try and now that I know how easy agar agar is to use I will.

So far, we have had the paste on some scones and with a blue cheese - both of which were divine.  I will be re-making this paste with other stone fruits that I can get at a good price.







I thought that I would include a vintage recipe for Apricot sauce from Good Housekeepings Picture Recipes - I do not have a date on it but hazard a guess that it is late 50s early 60s.



Thursday, February 2, 2012

30 in 2012.

Lately, I have been looking for work and at the same time occupying some notional territory of the housewife/homemaker and enjoying it.  The only downside I am finding to staying at home is that I feel that I am not "holding up my side" where income is concerned.

Being interested in vintage means that I am probably more exposed to the traditional role of the homemaker than other people in my position and I like the thought of creating a home, like my Grandmother did for her family, and knowing that it will be appreciated and remembered with a smile. 

I am sure that there are a lot of people in my situation at the moment: looking for work, eager to do anything (waitress, reception work, bar work), not just what I spent six years at university studying for.  I am getting slightly fed up with cover letters and CV and finding documents etc, so I thought that I would write a list of 30 things that I would like to achieve by the end of the year (my list was made after reading this one here).  By focusing on improving myself and being thankful for what I do have will send out some good energy into the universe!

Line through = done
Highlighted = in process of
Highlighted Purple = trying for the second time.
  1. Do Yoga every morning for a week.
  2. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
  3. Don't complain about anything for a whole day
  4. Go one week without TV
  5. Create a fortnightly menu from food in the pantry/fridge - no shopping
  6. Do some exercise with my husband - once a month.
  7. Watch all 6 Star Wars in order in 24 hours
  8. Do 10 nice things for people without telling them
  9. Create a proper vegetable garden
  10. Pray every day
  11. Stop answering/calling when I am driving
  12. Learn to use the lawnmower
  13. Cook my husband all his favourite meals for a week
  14. Do a 3 day detox
  15. Write my half-sister and half-brother a letter once a month
  16. Begin to learn shorthand
  17. Begin to study Italian again
  18. Play my clarinet once a week
  19. Be able to play Christmas Carols on my guitar by the end of the year
  20. Be able to run for 15 minutes without stopping
  21. SMS all my friends once a month telling them how lovely they are
  22. Schedule a catch-up day once a month to see friends and family living far away
  23. Sail on a long voyage (overnight at least)
  24. Have all the mending done by the end of the year
  25. Make my dress for the 50s Fair this year
  26. Visit Rose Seidler House on a Sunday
  27. Go to high tea with all the women in my family.
  28. Take a picnic to the botanic gardens.
  29. Be debt free
  30. Not buy any handbags or magazines.

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