The Zest

The Zest Notes

Notes from Isolation Week 1

My own notes from the last week alongside a collection from friends:

Read:

Alain de Botton’s How to Travel from Your Sofa

Simon Barnes’ piece about celebrating nature from your window. Read his guide of what to notice here. In a similar vein, a friend suggested ordering some bird feeders to see what appears in the garden.

Meg Wolizter’s The Female Persuasion

Lamorna Ash’s captivating interview in the Guardian, The Young Woman and the Sea about her experience in a Cornish fishing village and then listen to Radio 4’s adaptation of her book below.

Listen:

To Lamorna Ash’s evocative memoir about fishing in Cornwall – adapted by BBC Radio 4 – listen to it here.

How Do You Cope? With Elis and John – all episodes come highly recommended, particularly first two – find them all here.

Cressida Bonas’ new podcast Fear Itself – engaging, timely and prescient – first episode with the fascinating Karl Lokko and the second with the brilliant Elizabeth Day

Watch:

Former Editor-in-Chief of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger’s daily Instagram clips of his piano playing – I find his performances comforting and lovely and it’s inspired me to learn.

Unorthodox – a Netflix mini-series – recommended by a friend – also read an interview with the writer Anna Winger here.

Follow:

Wondering People – a new platform created to support emerging artists. Find them here and here.

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notes-1

Make:

A friend’s recipe for Easy Chicken Broth :

After a roast chicken on Sunday I used the remaining bones and carcass to make a delicious ‘n’ nutritious chicken broth, which is both comforting and hopefully immune-boosting, as well as a good way of using up leftovers - very apt if I do say so myself. In a large pot, I added to the chicken a whole bunch of veg that might otherwise have been going to waste, as well as an onion, garlic, and some herbs and spices - any variation of whatever is in your fridge or cupboard can be used! Bay leaves from the garden and a pod of star anise gave this weekend’s broth the most fragrant aroma that raised me from my bed on Monday morning - because after covering with water and bringing to a simmer, I placed the pot in the oven on a low heat to stew overnight. Monday’s lunch consisted of a simple bowl of delicious broth (strained to obtain just the liquid) with just a pinch of salt and pepper, while the rest has been popped into the freezer in batches to be used in future cooking.

chicken-broth.jpeg

And another for Nigel Slater’s Lazy Soda Bread:

  • 8oz wholemeal flour

  • 8oz plain flour

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp caster sugar

  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

  • 12 fl oz buttermilk

  • Put large heavy bottomed pan/casserole dish with lid in a pre-heated oven at 220 degrees

  • Mix dry ingredients then add buttermilk and work together quickly

  • Flour the base of the pan and pop in the low, round loaf

  • Put lid on and bake in oven for 35 mins.

  • Remove from oven but leave in the casserole dish for 5 more minutes

  • Cool a little before eating warm.

Annabel McLean