Feast of Strangers – an afternoon of conversation

This event caught my eye.

It sounds such a civilised and perfect way to spend a nice summer afternoon whilst (hopefully) meeting interesting new people.

Saturday the 22nd is the birthday party of Theodore Zeldin, author of An Intimate History of Humanity, and the event is open to everyone.

You will be introduced to someone you do not know and will be offered a Menu of Conversation, like a restaurant menu, with 25 topics of conversation to choose from.

It will be held at the Treehouse Gallery in Regents Park (http://www.thetreehousegallery.org) and will be running between 2.30-6.30pm and will be followed by evening performances.

If you can join us please reserve a place by emailing rsvp@limina.org.uk

Bring a rug and refreshments for yourself or to share, or you can pre-order a picnic spread of dips, meats or salads by emailing the above address. 

Please pass the invitation on to friends, family and colleagues and perhaps see you there (I’ll be the one sharing plum cakes). 

Monique

Tasty outdoor treats available to order now

Inspired by the Bank Holiday weekend weather forecast and beyond, Savvy Cook’s thoughts have turned to picnics.

I am not a great BBQ fan: although I like the idea of open air cooking, the reality never quite measures up. It is I think a combination of not being totally in control of when dinner will be ready, the need to start the fire well in advance of when you want to eat and it invariably being too chilly to eat outside comfortably – so you end up decamping back inside halfway through the meal.

You will probably guess that camping is not really my thing either…..in fact, I have never camped in my life. We have got friends who love camping; before their kids came along, they would go “wild” camping when given half a chance.

Me, I have always preferred a permanent roof over my head and at least as many (but preferably more) creature comforts than at home.

OK, I am a light weight , a good weather girl – I admit it!

Picnics however, are a different ball game: I love the ritual of the preparation, loading a coolbag with all sorts of delicious finger food, finding a nice spot, spreading out the rug …..Food tastes so much better outdoors, even a humble sandwich, especially when accompanied by a glass of (pink) bubbly.

So, if you get the urge next weekend you might enjoy this week’s Savvy Cook’s tasty treats….

Apple, raisin & rosemary picnic loaf (serves 6 – 8, £ 5)

A rustic little loaf, made with wholemeal flour, juicy raisins and fragrant rosemary.  The apples contain pectin, a soluble fibre, which helps to reduce the highs and lows in blood sugar levels and lower blood cholesterol. The butter milk we use is a particularly good source of several important nutrients including calcium and phosphorus which are needed to keep our bones and teeth healthy.

Energy (kcal)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Of which saturates (g)	Carbo- hydrate (g)	Of which  sugars (g)	Fibre (g)	Sodium (mg)	Salt (g)
262	9	4	2	49	14	6	428	1.1

 

Banana & walnut muffin (£ 1.50 each)

We make these little darlings with gram (chickpea) and barley flour, so they are suitable for those of you who avoid wheat flour. The bananas are great energy providers and one of the best sources of potassium, a mineral which helps to regulate fluid balance in the body. Walnuts provide useful amounts of vitamin E, many of the B vitamins, potassium and protein. Though they have a high fat content, this is mostly in the form of polyunsaturated fat (a “good” fat) rather than saturated fat.

Energy (kcal)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Of which saturates (g)	Carbo- hydrate (g)	Of which  sugars (g)	Fibre (g)	Sodium (mg)	Salt (g)
353	8	19	7.5	40	19	3.5	184	0.5

 

We look forward to receiving your comments and orders at info@savvycook.co.uk .

In the meantime, enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend when it comes round!

Best,

Monique