Eats/Reads

This was great. Super writing - quiet, reserved, very Scandinavian. Made me want to visit Norway - those cold, running rivers, those thick forests. Left so many things unanswered at the end, but nicely.

This is a brief biography of Darwin's Origin of Species - its significance within Victorian England, how it came about, who Darwin was and the ramifications his work has had up to present day. Great for someone who's forgotten most of what she learned about this in university. What really got me was not the evolutionary science - though highly relevant politically today, the science of it is pretty much taken for granted - but the story of how great works happen. Darwin was mostly unaware of the significance of what he was writing. Many friends/colleagues helped him develop his ideas, gave encouragement etc - and especially gave council around when he had to publish. It was not created in isolation. Then there's the reminder that the current reaction to a work has little relevance to its long-term significance (though 'Origin of Species' made a splash, it was not nearly as popular as some other, now unknown writings on evolution at the time - and then there's M...

Paprika chicken is a longtime favourite in our home. It's a tasty, quick, warm meal when you don't have a ton of ingredients on hand. This recipe is based on a dish I saw on Food TV ages ago. Just today I made the mistake of putting in chili powder instead of paprika - and it was yummy - so now thanks to this happy mistake it's also our chili chicken recipe. 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1-6 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on how garlicy you want it) 2 Tbsp paprika or chili powder 1 28oz/800ml tin of chopped tomato 4 chicken breasts, thighs or legs, skin on and bone in 1/2 cup broth or water 1 1/2 tsp flour 2-3 Tbsp yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche Handful of fresh parsley, chopped Salt and pepper In large frying pan with lid, saute onion in oil at medium heat until tender. Add garlic and saute a minute or two. Add paprika/chili powder and stir for one minute. Add tomato and broth/water and bring to a simmer. Add chicken, meat side down, and return to simm...