Clash

Shite and feck's sake! The Breeders and The Kills are clashing at Electric Picnic on Sat evening. Just have to hope that one of the stages starts running behind.

Electric Picnic nears

Being festival virgin (a night at Feile* years ago doesn't really count, or maybe just as foreplay?), I'm full of anticipation and trepidation about going to Electric Picnic this weekend. Perhaps it's best to simply relax and enjoy the experience (to continue the metaphor :)
Got the wellies today, collecting a tent on Wed, though will prob only use it on Sat night, may be a late one.
Although I've highlighted loads of artists I want to see, I suppose I'm most excited about those whose music I know.

• Thrilled to have Martina Topley-Bird on the bill, have been slightly weak for her since a Jools Holland appearance when the first album came out.
• Really enjoying The Kills album right now, so it'll be a bonus to hear them live.
• The Santogold album is fantastic, expecting an amazing live session for some reason.
• It'll be the second time seeing The Breeders this year ;¬) who can believe that?
• Loved the Dawn Landes album but haven't listened to it in ages, unsure how her music will work on a festival stage.
• Listened to Goldfrapp last week on hols, great lazy listening in the heat, hope they'll be as good live under grey skies.
  

Fingers crossed it'll be a good one.

*There I first saw Frank Black, aka Black Francis, perform an acoustic session that thrilled me. It started my real music listening (late as usual), first with the Pixies (who'd split up at that stage), then The Breeders, and so on.

Electric Picnic: day-by-day

Well, they've finally posted who's playing when. Also, a few new acts have been added, looking forward to The Kills (recently got their album) and Martina Topley Bird (only have her previous one).


Note: still haven't figured out how to increase the size of the bleedin' graphic! Anyway, just click it to see the details.

Cheatin'

Article on John "The Hair" Edwards.

Why are people surprised that politicians lie about cheating, that anyone lies about it? Mostly they have to be caught red handed before they’ll ‘fess up. A guy I work with is a serial cheater on his girlfriend, work nights out, conferences, etc, he usually goes off with someone. A complete slime ball. I have to ask the girls to stop talking about him when I’m around – just want to take a camán and slap him across the side of the head.

Tomatoes, watering

Although my outdoor tomatoes are all healthy, they’ve been slow to set fruit, let alone ripen (none yet!). Still, T. Incas continues to be the strongest grower, and the plum-type fruit have grown sizeably. T. Tommy Toe (a cherry-type) is also doing well.

Tomato 'Incas'

Tomato 'Tommy Toe'

Off on hols next week, so dusted off the tubing and water timer from the irrigation kit I used two years ago. After some minor adjustments it’s looking good.

Watering timer

Dripper

Tarte au citron

The family are suckers for anything lemony, and our mother has found some great recipes over the years. She had another good un for the recent Aug bank hol weekend, and I made it for a friend's lunch party yesterday, went down a treat.

Tarte au citron

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing
5 eggs
190g caster sugar
250ml double cream
4 lemons, juice and rind
Flour, for dusting
225g shortcrust pastry
Icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 200 Celsius / gas 6 and grease a 20cm flan ring with butter.
2. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and mix well. Add the cream and the lemon juice and stir. Pass the mixture through a sieve over a bowl, then add the lemon rind* and set aside.
3. Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface to make a circle large enough to fit over the flan ring. Place the pastry in the ring and press gently.
4. Place the tart in the oven and bake blind for about 15 mins, or until the tart case is lightly browned.
5. Turn the oven down to 150 Celsius / gas 2 and pour the lemon mixture into the tart case. Bake in the oven for about an hour, or until the filling is just set and the pastry is golden-brown.
6. Remove from the oven and trim the edges off the pastry. Leave to cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill for about two hours.
7. Dust the top of the tart generously with icing sugar, then place under a pre-heated grill for a few minutes until caramelised.
   
   *Note: First time making this I used a lemon zester which made the lemon rind pieces too long (in my view), next time I’ll used a grater.
   

Sure-fire summer pasta salad

I've been making this pasta salad for years, bringing it to summer barbies and it's always been a hit. It started off as a prawn, mushroom, and avocado pasta salad, but as people's food dislikes were voiced I omitted some of the ingredients. (I haven't got measurements, just go on guestimates).

Dried pasta: penne or fusili (dried is better for salads than fresh)
Creme fraiche or sour cream
Mayonnaise (low fat is fine)
Garlic
Avocados
Lemon juice
Black pepper and salt

1. Cook the required amount of pasta and allow to cool.
2. Mix equal amounts of the creme fraiche and mayo, enough to just coat the pasta, you don't want it swimming in it.
3. Crush a clove of garlic, or two, depending on how garlicky you like food, and mix into the mayo/creme fraiche.
4. Fold the mayo mixture into the cooled pasta, season, and put into the fridge until needed.
5. Before serving, peel a ripe avocado or two (again depending on quantity of pasta) and cut into slices or chunks, then mix the avocado in the lemon juice.
6. Mix the avocado in with the pasta.

Any questions, just ask!

Slow chilies

Talking to a few people that I gave chili plants to, it seems that they've been fairly slow growing and slow enough to flower. This is my first time growing them so it’s a learning experience for us all. I was reading an article in Kitchen Garden last night and gleaned some nuggets of information that I passed on.

Chilies (or chillis, so many spelling variations, so little time!) need more heat than tomatoes, and as summer in Ireland has been pretty miserable so far no wonder they haven’t met expectations. I’m thinking of bringing some of mine inside once they’ve flowered and set fruit, the extra heat might help speed up the growing and ripening process.

Also, apparently they don’t need as much watering as tomatoes, so perhaps I'll only water them every 2nd time that I do the tomatoes.

Tomatoes
Cos I'm growing most of the tomatoes outdoor obviously they've been slow enough as well, but there are lots of flowers on most, and the Incas variety has some nice-sized green plum fruit - just need a little sunshine!

Review of Blonde Redhead - 23

Blonde Redhead - 23

It's a grower, the album doesn't shout for attention, you play it a few times as initially it seems undemanding then, a track makes you pause, press replay,and re-listen. Happened time and again
Lush, layered sounds, built on guitars and insistent drum beats. The lyrics are often indiscernible, but at times Kazu Makino's voice cuts through the murk:

...your tainted heart, my tainted mind... (23)
...looking everywhere I see nothing but people...(Dr Strangeluv)
...I love you less now that I know you...
...what we need is a persuasion, what you give is a retaliation...(Top Ranking)

Looking into who they are, turns out it's the New York band's seventh album. The opening track '23' has been used on Grey's Anatomy, and it is a stand out. Think I'll be getting their previous album 'Misery Is a Butterfly'. (Influences referenced are Sonic Youth and Radiohead).

Rated 4/5 on Aug 06 2008

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Review Tags: music

Eating

In Slate, three rules for a healthy diet from Michael Pollan:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."