I confess, I can be kinda terrible at this content planning thing (in my personal life, anyway – it’s kinda my job at work). It can be difficult to find the time, will and energy to write things to a deadline when you’re doing it for yourself. You can’t force the chatty voice or thoughtful…
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Friday date night at Oxford Brasserie, Southampton
Going out to dinner is one of my favourite ways to indulge. I spend most of my waking hours thinking about food in some way, whether it’s planning a menu for my week of home cooked meals, thinking about how best to avoid disappointment in the work canteen, or giving into my garlic pizza bread…
HDL COOKS: Huevos Rancheros
A weekend brunch is really the most comforting thing. Whether you’re gearing up for a busy day, nursing a hangover or just want to unleash your inner middle-class white woman, brunch is ever the solution to your weekend woes. Brunch has always promised that little bit more than the traditionally beige breakfast plate. I’m not…
My breast reduction journey
I’ve deliberately waited a long time to write this post. Even now, I’m wondering if this is the right time, because the ‘journey’ of my breasts is far from over (I mean, they’re with me for the rest of my life) and I don’t know how I’m going to feel in six months, a year,…
HDL COOKS: Dijon cream chicken with duck fat roast potatoes
If there’s anything I pride myself on, other than my rapid mental absorption of odd facts akin to one of the QI elves, it’s my roast potatoes. I’ve tried many a roastie, and I’ve met many a person who stubbornly will not concede that anything but their mum’s roast potatoes are the best. Until they’ve…
Actually no, don’t treat yo self
Sometimes I think that people really don’t comprehend how difficult it is being a twenty-something at this particular point in history. Alongside the usual twenty-something anxieties that have probably affected every generation preceding us, about making decisions on careers, marriage, babies, mortgages, health and what we’re going to do when our parents die, there’s now…
HDL COOKS: Chilli Con Carne
As much as I am a clear introvert, and my kitchen is often where I retreat to be alone with my ideas, I love to cook for people. Part desire to show off, part innate need to please everyone I hold dear, part teaching opportunity for anyone unlucky enough to be in the vicinity, there…
23 things I’ve learned in 23 years
This week, I turned 23. I’m kind of at a point in my life where I don’t think birthdays are really much of a big deal to me. They don’t yet inspire dread, but they’re just a benchmark with which to measure how much of the year has passed. I had a wonderful, relaxed day,…
Meeting the red pandas at Longleat Safari Park
My boyfriend, historically, is not too good at presents. One year he got me a ‘cuddly toy’ that turned out to be a squeaky duck meant for dogs. No, that gift-giving experience was not great for either of us. That’s why I was incredibly shocked and amazed when last year, for my 22nd birthday, he…
HDL COOKS: Chicken Arrabbiata Pasta
I promise that one of these days I’ll do a recipe for something that’s not pasta. Maybe. It’s just that I love pasta so much (well, most pasta anyway – don’t get me started on spaghetti). It’s quick, cheap, versatile, and most importantly, it’s delicious. I’d happily kiss the person who first thought that boiling…
HDL food & culture 