jukebox #1

I thought I would introduce the odd music post in here, for a bit of variety, but mainly because I love music and don't get to talk about it often enough! I'll probably start posting about art and books more often too - (well, in six weeks time, when my exam is done and I have free time again).

from left to right, top to bottom:

 Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline, Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St, Beach Boys - the Very Best Of, Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams, Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed, Johnny Cash - America VI , Mariachi El Bronx, Brandon Flowers - Flamingo, The Killers - Sam's Town



this week I've been listening to...

• I've really been into the Stones again at the moment. I think it's the summer feeling in the air, but it leaves me wanting to wear short denim shorts and doc martens and lie in the warm grass all day, getting up only for the occasional dance! the riff from Gimme Shelter is just unbeatable - it will send shivers down your spine.
• Bob Dylan's duet, Girl from the North Country, with Johnny Cash (whose album pictured is a MUST LISTEN), is stunning. Dylan is timeless, his lyrics are beautiful and I'm proud to share my birthday with him!
• summer wouldn't be summer without listening to the Beach Boys! as a child I'd have Surfin' USA and Fun Fun Fun on repeat. now my love has extended to Sloop John B and God Only Knows.
• Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams album is the perfect thing to collapse to after a long day at work. of course instead of laying on my bed, I'd rather listen to it with the sand between my toes on a Hawaiian beach or something, but I suppose one can't be too fussy.
• the Mariachi el Bronx album is this crazy little mixture of Mexican mariachi songs penned by a band who usually prefer to blast out hardcore punk. this album is a little musical gem I discovered last year, and the first track, Cell Mates, is wicked.
• lastly there's my two usuals, Brandon Flowers and The Killers. there's a big reason why I've been listening to them even more than normal (if that's even possible) - I have tickets to see The Killers at Hard Rock Calling 2011 and Brandon at the Eden Project a couple of weeks later!! anybody who knows just how much of a Killers fan I am will understand that my stomach is now a permanent nest of excited butterflies. June 24th and July 12th cannot come quickly enough!
• The Killers song of the fortnight: Losing Touch
  fill the night with stories, the legend grows // of how you got lost // but you made your way back home // you sold your soul like a roamin' vagabond

afternoon tea anyone?

not counting the abnormally hot weather we've had over the last few days, it's that time of year when nothing beats lazing in the garden with a delicious afternoon tea!

you will need: a warm sunny afternoon, the scent of blossoming trees and flowers in the air, freshly brewed tea, sandwiches bursting with flavour, a group of friends (though there's nothing wrong with keeping your afternoon tea ritual to yourself!) and lots and lots of cake. 

I'm going to share two sweet recipes which are both super easy and super yum.

 

this loaf of deliciousness I first tried a few months ago. it's called derbyshire fruit loaf, and is so ridiculously moreish that you'll probably end up regretting baking it... but so tasty that you'll end up baking it again. I stole the recipe off of my cousin, who baked the one I ate and loved.
by sugar, the recipe means soft brown sugar. also it's best to replace half the marmalade with milk otherwise the loaf can be a bit dry. oh, and it tastes the best when you use homemade marmalade!

next, i'm introducing homemade hot cross buns, courtesy of one of my favourite chefs and writers, nigel slater.

just reading his recipe in sainsbury's magazine makes your mouth water - let alone when you toast one, freshly baked, and dab a bit of butter on it. heavenly!
to find the recipe, make your way to your local sainsburys to buy their magazine - i'm not being paid to say this - it really is worth the money for amazing recipes and gorgeous homey ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

how mouth-wateringly beautiful is nigel slater's writing?

"I am fond of a little hot cross bun, all plump and shiny, split, toasted and buttered. You might think that would be simple enough. But in a perfect world that little bun should be speckled with not just dried fruit but mixed peel, it must be round not square and should be buttered with generosity. Most of all, I want my bun to be homemade."

(photos and words © curiosity kate)

a jaunt to bristol

Last Wednesday both my mother and I managed to get the day off and catch the train west to Bristol. The main purpose of the trip was check out the university campus and city, but aided by the beautiful weather, we managed to turn it into a lovely day out.
We walked the streets and steps of the city in order not to miss anything, gradually browning under the warm sun. We bought sesame cookies and apple cake at a foodie market, then walked up a hill to the university buildings, most of which were positioned along a wide leafy avenue well-travelled by cyclists and clever-looking folk.
ln a green, pretty garden in the midst of the university we found students quietly reading, talking and lunching in the sunshine. We joined them for a little while, enjoying the views of the beautiful architecture framed by the bright blue sky.
Then we carried on walking, via an art gallery, along more roads, past Brandon Hill Nature Park (of course I was excited because it sounded like Brandon Flowers), towards the college green and cathedral. A lot of the older Bristol feels a bit like Cambridge; the buildings are similarly grand and intellectual, with views of spires and towers at every corner.
We had a delicious middle-eastern mezze platter for lunch in a rad church cafe; falafel, tzatziki, houmous, pitta bread, salad. After walking through the dim, cool church interior listening to the sounds of somebody playing hesitantly on the piano, we ventured back into the sunlight and explored the Corn Exchange markets and the harbourside. The market contained lots of straw hats, colourful bracelets and art, accompanied by the smells of all kinds of ethnic foods in the air.
Bristol's cool; it feels pretty laidback with a definite ethnic/hippy vibe floating through the streets, and I liked it a lot.
Some snaps from the day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Other than jaunting about Bristol I've been working, studying and doing a bit of gardening in between. I've been a busy bee, but a happy one!

More posts to follow, I promise!