Thursday, January 10, 2013

busy - just the way I like it

Current work: revisions to HQ Rom/Cherish (aka M&B #55)
Listening to: George Harrison
Reading: Rowan Coleman, Dearest Rose (excellent so far)

Pump class yesterday (and my arms feel it today); dance class, too, and we started the tango! We did the progressive sidestep and reverse turn, which is as complicated as it sounds, so when Donna and Kirsty showed us, I thought we’d find it a bit tricky. But Donna’s an excellent teacher and broke it down, and DH and I worked out where we were going wrong on the turn (which is always the bit where we come unstuck on any dance).

My ed didn’t actually say no to my pitch – she’s asked for an outline, so I’m really pleased about that. But it has to go on ice for the moment while I do the revisions to the last book; and that’s good, because it means the idea gets a bit of brewing time. (And if my ed doesn’t like it, I might well self-pub it.)

So. HIIT circuits this morning where I had a new move added each time, and I was very pleased with myself – seven lots of 300m on the rower, and I kept my time on each circuit :o) And the burpees were low-impact ones so they weren’t as horrible as usual. I can see quite a big difference between what I can do now and what I was able to do last May.

Oh, and Tuesday. Caroline Anderson and I had a great time out to lunch (courtesy of me winning the gym's Christmas challenge and the kids saying they didn't like the menu - I wanted a fellow foodie to go with me, and anyway we were due for a catch-up). Good chance to talk plots. So it was work. Really it was...

We decided to go for what was pretty much a tasting menu. So the starter was a plank. You can't see it very well here, but it was pecorino cheese with chili jam on 'music bread' (basically a very crisp flatbread, a little thinner than a tortilla and a little thicker than a poppadom); mozzarella balls (these were particularly lush); salad; three different cold meats with olives and capers; plus a green salad with a very nice dressing.




Main (anticlockwise, from bottom left) was hunter chicken stew (nice rich gravy, especially nice with added parmesan); pasta alla norma (tomato and aubergine sauce); and wild mushroom risotto.


Served with focaccia bread and polenta chips (latter below, sprinkled with parmesan and rosemary).


No, we did not have pudding. No room. We had coffee. But the food was excellent and the staff were utterly lovely. The decor was lovely, too, very much in keeping with the building's history. Definite hit.

Righty. I need to get cracking! Have a nice day :o)

2 comments:

Liz Fielding said...

Lunch sounds heaven, Kate! And well done on the exercise. I fell off the diet wagon and had Chinese yesterday. :(

Mary Preston said...

The food does look amazing!!