He really is one of Britain's most highly regarded food writers and his beautifully written prose, warm down to earth personality coupled with his unpretentious and EASY to follow recipes have earned him a huge following. Yes, Jamie Oliver is probably more well known and flamboyant and Gordon Ramsay is a 'show man' but give me Mr Slater anyday... he is just such a lovely person - well that's my opinion... plus he is my age and seems to have grown up with all the foods of the 70's in UK that I was familiar with.
He's written many food books including 'Real Cookery', 'Real Fast Food', '30 Minute Suppers' and one of my absolute favourites above 'The Kitchen Diaries'. His latest one is 'A cook and his vegetable patch' and his veggie patch at his garden at his home in London is just the kind that I would give my eye teeth for - very cute with tiny box hedging. Last week they showed it on the TV programme and I am just hoping that we will be treated to another look this evening. If you live in Australia you cannot miss this if you are at all interested in cooking and one person who I definitely think would love it is FAUX FUCHSIA..... and that brings me neatly onto the second half of this post.....The delightful, funny, very stylish and beautiful FAUX FUCHSIA who is all of these things and more as she is also a smart and sassy Lawyer in Brisbane (you just have to follow her blog if you don't already) has sent me the handbag challenge...
I have to show my handbag and the contents !! Just a little bit of fun and I am in turn am passing the quiz on to the very stylish 'girl about Melbourne' who is SHE WORE IT WELL.... - she also has a lovely blog well worth tuning into.
So, without further ado...
So, without further ado...
My handbag.... seems to go with everything - even black.
And I adore the lining too.
The contents : Mints, magnifying mirror (essential), Burts Bees Fig lip balm, my camera, sunnies in their lovely quilted case, ipod, my 2 ancient mobile phones - UK one and Oz one, reading glasses, a little bit of Hermes ribbon, my UK passport, a 50 pence piece, UK flag purse (Aspinal of London - a Christmas present from Mr SE), a Qantas ticket from last weekend, keys on their cute key ring... close up below...
Love this key ring - it has the shop keys from MA MAISON on it and Shelly owner of this shop gave it to me - Eiffel Tower, a handbag and an aeroplane - sort of sums up my life really - well the last two definitely and I dream about going again to the location of the first one! Now, don't forget the television programmes if you are in Australia, will you?!
We get Jamie and Gordon on television---but no Nigel. Sounds like we are missing out.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I have Burt's Bees fig in my bag too! How fun that we share the same lip balm.
xoxo
How sad.. you are missing out on Nigel for sure. Can you get his books I wonder? The Kitchen Diaries is such a lovely one.
ReplyDeleteVery fun we share the same lip balm - I love it - colour wonderful and love the minty tingle you get with it! XX
I adore Nigel Slater. Any time I write up a recipe, I always here Nigel nattering away in the background, cracking me up, making little comments. In fact, even when I write about clothes and beauty, I hear Nigel in the back of my mind.
ReplyDeleteLPC (Skye!) - Oh, am so pleased you know of him... I love how he natters away in such a way as you could imagine him sitting at your kitchen table chatting. Or rather, I would like to be sitting at his table watching HIM potter around,cooking... that would be heaven so watching the TV prog. is the next best thing.
ReplyDeletelove your bag and purse! and will def tune in to Nigel Slater , i think he wrote Toast or some other biog about his life as a child which I loved xxxx
ReplyDeleteYes, that was his autobiography - such a beautifully written book - I loved it... Also written one called 'Eating for England - the delights and eccentricities of the British at table' - wonderfully entertaining!
ReplyDeleteOr rather, not his autobiography as such, his childhood - but so good none the less....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations - I'm now following FF and SWIT (ooh that doesn't look so good). I met Nigel Slater once and can confirm that he is absolutely lovely, a very nice man.
ReplyDeletePS glad to see you're still flying the flag!
Oh, oh, oh I am so envious you met him.. how wonderful! FF I know will also be most impressed (especially after she has watched him on TV tonight) !
ReplyDeleteSarah - that's really strange - we were just talking about this last night! How, when we were in Sydney we had to rely on the lifestyle and food channels to get our 'fix' of Nigel & Nigella et al...We have just had N.S's Simple Suppers screened here & I watched the first few avidly then went off the boil...I don't know why because I have all his books and love reading them - I just don't like watching him as much! P.s. Wish the contents of my handbag looked as organised as yours! I would be really distressed if I had to empty it out right now and put the contents on display...
ReplyDeleteOh I think I am going to be addicted and hold on to the end - loving every minute at the mo... need my fix here you know!! And, don't be daft - course I got rid of the manky tissues, bits of paper, wrappers etc. before I took a photo!! (called 'stylng' I think!! ha! :-))
ReplyDeleteSarah, I love your blog and I love this post!! Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful piece of British talent with us Aussies, I'm definitely going to be watching Nigel from now on! I have only recently really developed a real interest in cooking (no comment please on the many years of Vogue Entertaining, Gourmet Traveller and Donna Hay sitting on the library shelves!). I can hardly wait!
ReplyDeleteAnd I llluuuuuuuv your bag, love Louis, and enjoy one for the Summer months, one for Winter, and I agree with you, the perfect piece for every look!
Thank you for sharing such enthusiasm and wonderful energy everyday, I really enjoy reading your posts and thank you for sharing your fabulous positive spirit with your fellow OZ and UK fans. Have a divine weekend! :-)
Claire x
Claire - what a lovely comment ... thank you so much and I really hope you enjoyed Nigel's two programmes this evening.. I thought they were 'top notch'... now have to count the days till next Thursday. Thank you too for your kind comments about my bag and even more about my blog - you have made my evening, you really have - how kind of you! A great weekend to you too... enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYour purse is gorgeous! I like how you keep bits of England with you in your bag.
ReplyDeleteI must admit to having a few brooches with the union jack on as half of my family are English. The other half are South African, so I have South African flags to balance it.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteLove your bag and it's organized contents. I too adore FF. A breath of fresh air, wouldn't you say. She just cheers me up!
I am not familiar with Nigel but will look into his cookbooks. Thanks for the info.
~janet
p.s. Thanks for complimenting my "pins" I honestly did not know what you were talking about at first. That's why I'm loving blogging, you get such an initimate view on how others talk and write. Lovely.
Carly.... thank you - Mmmm Union Jack brooches sound fun!
ReplyDeleteJanet - yes, totally agree that FF is a riot, or as she says 11/10. Think you would like Nigel Slater especially his latest one 'A cook and his Vegetable Patch'. Sorry, did not think when I wrote 'pins'!! You must have thought I was a little crazy!!
Thank you for the tag lovely lady.
ReplyDeleteI am catching up on everything post NZ, will do a post tomorrow.
x