Things I fantasize about before going to sleep

Fergus Henderson, and more specifically his Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad. Sadly, I've never been to St John's, and haven't been to London, in oh, 10 years or so. But I can feel a trip coming on in 2009 and if necessary I will plan it around getting reservations.

S thinks this is rather strange and that roast bone marrow is not what one should be thinking of as one drifts off to sleep - or admit to, anyway.

Move over, Thomas Lynley.

I've got a new crush.

Why had I never bothered to pick up a Lee Child book before? Heaven knows, but it's all good, because there are 12 books in the Jack Reacher series, so they'll keep me happily occupied until the new Elizabeth George/Peter Robinson/Minette Walters come out in paperback...

30-second review - The Duchess

Meh, and meh again. A soulless historical drama with gorgeous costumes and stately homes and no emotional impact whatsoever. Couldn't bring myself to care about the bad marriage, or the doomed love affair, or the inability to bear a son - I was just curious to see what hat Keira Knightly would be wearing in the next scene. Best line, by a deadpan Ralph Fiennes: "My wife is in labor. I believe this calls for a toast".

PSA for my foodie friends !

Cookstr beta launched today - haven't had time to have an in-depth look, but at first glance it seems very user-friendly (want to find a list of recipes featuring chicken, using 5 ingredients or less ? it only takes 3 clicks!), the roster of contributing chefs and cookbook writers is impressive (Madhur Jaffrey , Alice Waters, Marcella Hazan,and many, many more...) , and the site itself has a nice clean lay-out.

30 second review: Body of Lies

Just saw this a few hours ago and already it's indistinguishable in my mind from every other espionage-in-the-Middle-East thriller I've seen in the last 10 years:
- aerial views of 4x4s driving through the desert - check.
- people (both good guys and bad) being tortured - check.
- bombs going off - check.
- people talking urgently on their mobile phones - check.
- chase scenes though busy market squares and alleyways - check.

Omaha beach, Normandy

 

This photo looks like it could illustrate one of those corny "inspirational" poems à la Hallmark card. But I like it better without words.

Can't wait.

I love Pixar.

There's a series of Ikea ads

....playing at the cinemas at the moment. One of them shows a woman finding a little yellow pencil - you know the ones - in her husband's pocket while sorting the laundry, and tearfully confronting him about going to Ikea without her, while he squirms guiltily.

I turn to S. and whisper, "I don't have to worry about that, do I. I know you would never go to Ikea without me."
Deadpan response: "That's right. And I would never go to Ikea with you, either".

Harrumph.

2 h and 15 mn of blissed out music

Trilok Gurtu and his band with special guests Jan Garbarek and Oumou Sangare at the Salle Pleyel. Not sure how to describe the mix, as world music doesn't quite cover it, nor does jazz - but if the combination sounds interesting and you have the chance to see them live - together or not - please do so - it was a fantastic concert.

Inspirational

I love stories like this one: 81-year old retains marathon crown.

Go vote - now !

...because I can't.

As an American who has never lived in the U.S., I am apparently "an American citizen who has no voting rights". There are only 16 states that allow U.S. citizens born overeas who have never lived in the U.S. to vote, and to qualify, the parent who passed on U.S. citizenship must also be eligible to vote. Well, that rules me out.

30 second review: Quantum of Solace

Couldn't wait any longer and braved the opening weekend queues to see it... What can I say - not as wonderful as Casino Royale, but still a wildly entertaining ride. And it really does feel like a roller-coaster rather than a movie. Bond chases or gets chased on foot, in a car, on a motorbike, in a plane... no trains, hot-air balloons, roller-blades or bicycles though. Perhaps in the next instalment. Judi Dench's M just gets better and better, owning every scene she's in. And Daniel Craig is the sexiest man alive. And that, really, is all you need to know.

Simple pleasures

Waking up with a start, thinking it seems late and wondering why the alarm didn't go off, and then realizing it's Saturday.

Getting a haircut. This isn't just getting a haircut you see - it involves having a glass of bubbly, then of rosé when the bubbly runs out, bumming a cigarette from the hairstylist, discovering whatever singer she currently has on rotation on the salon's stereo system (currently, Asa), nibbling on 36-month parmesan brought in by the owner of the cheese shop next door, who's come in with his girlfriend for a natter and a glass of wine.

The sweet anticipation of knowing that Quantum of Solace is out and that we can see it today, tomorrow, any day now, but perhaps it would be better to wait a while because once that's done, it will mean a 2-year wait for the next one...