Sunday, May 20, 2012

I Do Hope I Don't Look Too Much Like a Newly-Covered Armchair





It's one of those Sunday Afternoons. It's desperate to rain, but can't quite bring itself to.
I'm glad because I just trotted down the hill to the Supermarche to purchase supplies for tonite's Sunday Nite Mad Men Dinner & I didn't even have to run between the raindrops.
Yes, it's Mad Men Series 5 my guests & me are watching. I won't go on about it too much except to say that Betty, played by January Jones has considerably Porked Up for this series with the aid of a v. convincing Fattish Suit. BTW, what an interesting name January is, although I suppose she gets called Jan which isn't so interesting & an abbreviation of Janet, which I've always thought is a v. severe & serious name except it you pare it with Brad. You know, Brad & Janet from The Rocky Horror Show.

It's kind of strange to be called after a Month, although I've just remembered that half my daughter's name is Mae & I have a student called April & I always wanted a mother like June Cleaver from 'Leave it to  Beaver, my favourite show when I was five. And then of course there's Wednesday, the daughter from The Addams Family. OH, but sadly Wednesday isn't a month is it? Same Ball Park, though.
Anyway, enough of names. Let's talk about what I'm doing in the photos.
Can you guess?


I'm showing you my lunch. I pack it every day in my Plastic Lunch Pail which is on the floor next to my feet which are wearing little thrifted Anne Klein black patent booties.
I am slavish about bringing my lunch. I even bring it when the cupboard is bare & everything in the fridge is slightly rotting. I always seem to find something to shove into a plastic container & heat up in the microwave in the Staff Lunch Room.
Here's an example. I like to call this The Desperate Lunch:
*1 cup of pasta that I boil up whilst eating breakfast in bath.
* A large sprinkle of any cheese over the pasta even, when Really Desperate, that Toy Parmesan that comes in packets which has a distinctly soapy flavour. Apparently, the Parmesan Du Jour is Parmesan Reggiano. I must, must must get some. Desperate to be part of the Zeitgeist.
* A handful of chopped semi-sundried tomatoes.
* A handful of chopped curly parsley & chopped fresh dill.
* A tablespoon of pine nuts.
Actually, the last three ingredients aren't really part of The Desperate Lunch.
It's just really the first two.

My Favourite Foods for Lunch Packing:
* Thinly-sliced Chilled Pears that I pack with little crumbles of Blue Cheese. I have always eschewed Blue Cheese but for some v. odd reason, I now can't get enough of it. The only problem is that I can never tell if the cheese in my fridge is Real Blue Cheese or just Rotting Other Cheese.
* Lashings of rocket & dill & parsley to go with the pears etc.
* Chick peas. Only in cans. I don't have the time or the expertise to be bothered soaking or cooking or whatever you do to real chick peas.
According to The Head of English who is v. knowledgeable about English & possibly everything else, Chick Peas are the new Super Food.
* Cous cous.
Must stop typing & go into kitchen & prepare two chickens that I am stuffing with fresh lemon thyme, pine nuts, garlic, breadcrumbs & bacon & then putting in tidy oven bags & roasting for seventy minutes.
But before I go, I must quickly walk you through What I'm Wearing:
* A Coatdress that looks like it's made from a Soft Furnishing Fabric. I do hope I don't look too much like a newly-covered Armchair. BTW, I totally love coatdresses right now. I can wear the same old plain black dress underneath every day & jazz it up with a coatdress over the top
* A Pashmina. I think I bought this one for five bucks at a stall on Fifth Avenue in NYC years ago. I could write a whole blog post about Pashminas but I won't because I have to get back to the kitchen. In the meantime, try & think about what I might say about them.
* Matching Toy Leather Cuffs that scream Wannabe Hermes.
Bon Appetit!


2 comments:

Darla said...

I like my chick peas turned into hummus but I admire your determination to pack you lunch daily.

Darla

janavi said...

Yes, I agree Janet is a pretty severe name, which is why I have always disliked it and use my Yoga name whenever possible.

Parmigiano Reggiano is the real stuff from the region around Parma, and is the only one that can legally use that name. it's DOP. Region of origin.

Like the coat dress

JANET