Whether you’re in the shower, the car or a karaoke booth, these are tried-and-tested favourites for belting out.
Take a listen here
Or search ‘simplethingsmag’ on Spotify to find all of our monthly playlists.
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Taking Time to Live Well
Image: Shutterstock
Whether you’re in the shower, the car or a karaoke booth, these are tried-and-tested favourites for belting out.
Take a listen here
Or search ‘simplethingsmag’ on Spotify to find all of our monthly playlists.
Photography by Ali Allen
This must be one of the simplest takes on the Malaysian noodle classic, but it’s no less scrumptious and soul warming. Even better, you can make it in minutes, using up leftovers as you do. The key here is getting your broth right as it creates the canvas – what you add to it from there is up to you.
SERVES 2-4
1 tbsp coconut oil (or use some of the cream from the coconut milk)
1 onion (or 6 spring onions or 2 leeks), thinly sliced
400g coconut milk 2-3 tbsp kimchi paste, to taste
500ml fish stock 1 tbsp fish sauce and/or tamari/soy sauce
100g vermicelli rice noodles, optional (you can just use more veg)
2 carrots, shaved into long ribbons using a veg peeler
A few cabbage leaves, rolled into a cigar-shape and shredded
A few spring onions, thinly sliced
A handful shiitake or seasonal mushrooms 1 lime, zest and juice
A handful of fresh herbs, micro herbs and/or sprouts (such as radish sprouts, bean sprouts)
1 Place a large pot over a medium heat and add the coconut oil or cream from your coconut milk (if using the latter, you might need a little extra). Swirl in the onion, spring onions or leeks, then reduce the heat and gently cook until tender and a little golden.
2 Add the rest of the coconut milk (or all of it, if you used coconut oil initially). Swirl in the kimchi paste (start with a small amount and add more if needed as you layer in the ingredients).
3 Allow the kimchi paste to cook into the coconut milk for 5 mins, then add the fish stock and fish sauce (tamari or soy)and simmer for a further 10 mins to develop the flavours.
4 As the stock base cooks, prepare your veg and cook your noodles in a separate pan, according to the instructions on the pack.
5 Once the stock has simmered for 10 mins, taste and add a little more kimchi paste if needed.
6 Pile in your prepared veg and noodles into bowls then pour the warm, spicy broth over the top. Finish with a grating of lime zest, a good spritz of lime juice, and a smattering of fresh herbs, micro herbs and/or bean sprouts
This is just one of the recipes from our regular Home Economics pages, reviving age-old wisdom about household management to help us value all our resources - our time, and also the ingredients and money we invest in them. In our April issue, Home Economics is all about the Hungry Gap - that time of year just before the new season harvests are ready - and features recipes by Rachel de Thample, including Roasted Trout with Lemon and Dill, Decadent Roast Potato Mash and Cider-Braised Cabbage Wedges, as well as this Leftover Laksa, fish stock and Fish Pie Jackets for your freezer and Kimchi for the pantry.
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Photography by Kym Grimshaw
The macaron’s casual cousin, resembling a make-up compact. Best made and eaten on the same day. Now there's a challenge...
Makes 12
4 egg whites
250g caster sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
250ml double cream
100g lemon curd
Icing sugar, to dust
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Draw 24 5cm circles onto two pieces of baking paper with plenty of space around each circle. Place these drawing-side down onto two baking sheets
2 Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and continue beating until glossy, then slowly add the lemon zest and vanilla to the meringue mixture, taking care not to over mix. Meanwhile sieve together the flour and baking powder, then fold carefully but thoroughly into the meringue mix.
3 Transfer to a large plastic bag and snip off a small corner ready to pipe. Pipe the mixture onto the baking paper using the circles as a guide to create neat(ish) rounds. Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins, or until golden brown and risen. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool.
4 While the puffs cool, whip the double cream to a spreadable consistency. Spread 12 puffs with cream, then top each with a teaspoon of lemon curd and place a plain puff on the top. Dust with icing sugar and serve
This recipe is just one of the classic bakes and surprising sandwiches featured in our April issue in our ‘bring-a-bake afternoon tea party’ menu by Lottie Storey. You can find the rest of the recipes and ideas, including Jamaican Ginger Cake, Gin Thyme Lemonade, Pistachio and Chocolate Pinwheels, Earl Grey Tea Loaf, Strawberry Sandos, Curried Egg Mayo Sandwiches and more beginning on page 32.
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Illustration by Christina Carpenter
Cuckoos return from South Africa this month. Officially 14 April, St Tiburtius’ Day, is when you first hear cuckoo song. Traditionally, one writes to The Times on hearing the first cuckoo of spring, but you could write to us instead.
Look for: A grey head and bright yellow ring around the eye, dark grey plumage on top and barred feathers below, a little like a sparrow hawk. Some of the females are brown.
Spot them: Around the edges of woodlands and grasslands.
Listen for: Only the males ‘cuckoo’ – and you know what that sounds like. Females make a sort of bubbling sound.
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Photography: Jonathan Cherry
Had enough or the daily grind? Roll up for our Circus Career Quiz and you could be off to a new life in the circus today
We all occasionally reach a point in life, where we just want to down tools and run off to join the circus. Easier said than done, you might think? Not so, with our New Life in the Circus Quiz. Find out where your Big Top Niche lies and where you could best employ your transferable skills.
Q1. What sector do you work in?
A I don’t work. Well, I do have a couple of volunteer roles. And I do some occasional freelance work. And I help out at my children’s school. And I look after my dad who’s quite frail now. And just, you know, the shopping, house admin, DIY and all that. But no, I don’t do much really.
B Engineering
C Entertainment
D Emergency Services
E Project management
Q2. How do you like to relax?
A By doing hobbies. I always have at least two things on the go.
B I’m an adrenaline junkie. I can’t relax until I’ve had a good long run or a sea swim, or been climbing.
C Just having a giggle with friends.
D You’ll laugh, but I love firewalking. It’s an amazing experience and you feel so serene afterwards.
E. I’m not very good at relaxing. It makes me edgy.
Q3. Who is your favourite famous clown?
A. Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons
B. Grock, the Swiss Acrobat/Clown
C. Lou Jacobs - the inventor of the clown car.
D. Pennywise from Stephen King’s It.
E. Grimaldi, of course, the Father of Clowning
Q4. What would be your last meal?
A I’d cook a roast dinner with all the trimmings.
B A huge stack of pancakes, flipped and stacked with loads of syrup.
C Custard pie.
D A vindaloo. With extra chillies.
E Something with a bit of showmanship, maybe a Steak Diane, followed by Bananas Foster.
Q5. What is your greatest skill?
A People often say I’m a great multitasker.
B I’m very flexible and adapt easily to any new situation.
C I think I make people laugh.
D I’m fearless.
E I’m highly organised and I think people respect that.
Mostly A
You’re a juggler. Never one to stand still, you have no problem with keeping your eye on the ball and with handling more than one task at a time.
Mostly B
You would make a great acrobat. You’re fast, flexible and ready for anything. Maybe you could turn those skills to a physical arena and find a new life up on the high wire.
Mostly C
You’re a born entertainer and would make a fabulous clown. You make people smile and don’t take yourself too seriously but you’re also a sensitive soul who people empathise with. Just don’t offer to do any driving as part of your new role. And if you do, don’t offer a lift to all your friends.
Mostly D
Danger is, if not your middle name, then definitely your watchword. With your can-do approach to life - and a slight dare devil streak, dare we say? - we think you’d make a great fire eater. Please leave the man-made fibres at home, though.
Mostly E
In your current life, you’re the one that holds it all together. People look to you for direction and you’re usually meticulously well organised. If you ran off to the circus, we think you’d swap your online organiser for a whip and work your way up to being ring master in no time.
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Embrace your creative side with Ricola and give those green thumbs a workout so you’ll always have
herbs when you need them
Plant hangers are a great way to grow herbs and they can be a sustainable way to decorate, because to make them you can use materials you probably have lying around. All you need are a few old cans, paint, a drill, string, a spot of creativity and – if you like – music in the background while you work.
Add some colour to your kitchen and a flavour burst to your food – it’s much easier than you think
You will need:
4 different herb plants (such as lemon balm, basil, thyme and mint)
4 big tin cans 6m-thick string (approx. 1.5m per can)
Scissors
Drill
Spray paint, in colours of your choice
A suitable base to work on
1 Remove the lids from the tin cans if they are still attached.
2 Wash out the cans and remove any labels.
3 Drill two holes opposite each other, 5-10cm from the top of each can. Be careful.
4 Spray the cans with different colours and leave them to dry for around two hours.
5 Now push a piece of string through the holes in each can.
6 Cut to adjust the length, depending on how high the herbs should hang, and tie knots to ensure the string stays in place.
7 Put the herb plants in the cans and hang them near a window.
Since 1940, Swiss company Ricola has been making sweets and cough drops using a blend of 13 healing herbs, including thyme, sage and peppermint (the actual recipe remains a closely guarded secret). For more on the whole Ricola range, visit ricola.com or follow on Insta: @ricola_uk
Sweet and sticky buns to make for Mother’s Day… or just because
A speciality of Bristol, these are made by local bakers the day before Mothering Sunday. Traditionally, on this day only, the Lent fast was relaxed. The buns used to be decorated with caraway or aniseed; today, hundreds and thousands are used.
MAKES 12
FOR THE BUNS
500g strong white bread flour
1 tsp salt
50g caster sugar
7g sachet instant yeast
50g unsalted butter, diced and softened
300ml water
FOR THE ICING
200g icing sugar
2–3 tbsp water
1. Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the salt and sugar on one side, the yeast on the other. Add the butter and three-quarters of the water, then turn the mixture round with the fingers of one hand. Add the remaining water a little at a time, mixing until you have taken in all the flour and the dough is soft and slightly sticky; you might not need all the water.
2. Oil the work surface to stop the dough sticking. Turn out the dough and knead for 5 mins, or until smooth and no longer sticky. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough to it and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for at least an hour, until doubled in size. Line 2 baking trays
with baking parchment.
3. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and fold it inwards repeatedly until all the air has been
knocked out and the dough is smooth. Divide into 12 pieces.
4. Roll each piece into a ball by placing it into a cage formed by your hand on the work surface and moving your hand in a circular motion, rotating the ball rapidly.
5. Put the balls of dough on the prepared baking trays, spacing them slightly apart. (They should just touch each other when they have risen.) Place each tray in a clean plastic bag and leave to prove for about 40 mins, until the rolls have doubled in size. Heat the oven to 220C/Fan 200/425F.
6. Bake for 10–12 mins, until the rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
7. For the icing, mix the icing sugar with enough water to give a thick but pourable consistency. Dip each roll into the icing and then into the hundreds and thousands.
Recipe taken from Paul Hollywood’s British Baking, Photography Peter Cassidy (Bloomsbury, £8)
Mothering Sunday is on 27 March in the UK. It has been celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent since the 16th century. This recipe was first published in our March 2015 issue but we don’t think you can make them enough, really.
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Photography by Tom Crowford
A refreshing thirst quencher for a warm spring day.
We like to serve this simple rhubarb soda with lots of ice and fresh mint leaves.
Serves 6-8
250ml water
250g granulated sugar
500g rhubarb, chopped into 5cm lengths
Sparkling mineral water or soda water
Fresh mint leaves to serve (optional)
1 Put the water and sugar into a large pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the rhubarb, and bring back up to a simmer. Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled down, strain out the poached rhubarb (this is Rhubarb soda delicious served with thick yogurt), and pour the syrup into a sterilised bottle or jar, then chill in the fridge.
2 To serve, tear a few mint leaves into the bottom of a glass, pour in a generous glug of the rhubarb syrup, add a handful of ice cubes, and top with chilled sparkling water or soda water (stir gently to help blend the syrup with the water if needed). Serve immediately and enjoy.
This soda is just one of the recipes from our feature Spring on the Smallholding, from our April issue. It also includes recipes for Cheddar and Wild Garlic Biscuits, Griddled Asparagus with Spring Herbs and Poached Eggs and Spring Cabbage with Sweet Chilli and Marmite Butter, as well as lots of makes and ideas to make the most of spring in the outdoors, by Kathy Bishop and Tom Crowford, owners of the smallholding in Somerset. You can follow all their adventures at theseasonaltable.co.uk or @the_seasonal_table
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Photography by Claire Collinson
Sometimes it’s not the finished product but the process that’s needed to get there that provides the most enjoyment, as Blackdown’s self-build customers will testify
You may have been playing the winter waiting game, itching to get busy in the garden – but April is finally here, the weather has turned a corner, and it’s time to enjoy all the potential that your garden has to offer for the year ahead.
For many, those plans extend way beyond a little garden maintenance and growing, with ambitious plans to create a unique space that can be cherished for generations to come. This is always a time of year when the talented folk at Blackdown Shepherd Huts see increased interest in their range of shepherd huts – from bespoke designs, to turnkey huts, to self-build options, there’s something to suit all needs.
And for some, that need is to get creative and realise a dream of building their own little corner of escapism. Often there’s a yearning to reconnect to skills learnt from older generations, or a burning ambition to build something meaningful.
And once your shepherd hut is finished, it can be enjoyed in so many ways – perhaps as a home office, additional space to hang out or host guests, or perhaps home to a small business such as a quirky B&B.
Whatever your dream, the team at Blackdown are on hand to support you through the process, from ordering the kit, through building the hut, to personalising your eventual space. With years of skill and knowledge, Blackdown’s video guidance or friendly voice at the end of a phone call can make all the difference to the enjoyment of the process. And for further inspiration, why not pay a visit to the Blackdown Display Garden in Ilminster, Somerset, to see just how special the finished product can be.
One pair who took advantage of Blackdown’s self-build set up is Jane and Richard from Mickleton in the Durham Dales, who now share their stunning location with guests at Toadlands Shepherd Huts (toadlandsshepherdhuts.co.uk). “Blackdown gave us the confidence to self-build a quality product all the way from idea to realisation,” says Jane. With such a sense of achievement to be gained from creating your vision, it’s not hard to see why Blackdown Shepherd Huts have provided so much enjoyment for so many years, and will continue to do so for many, many more to come.
Illustration by Christina Carpenter
Treecreepers live in the UK all year round, but they’re hard to spot so many people mistakenly consider them to be rare.
Look for: A brown, speckled back and a white undercarriage, as well as a distinctive long, curved beak for winkling insects out of the bark of trees.
Spot them: Distinctively climbing upwards on the trunks of trees, in woodland all over the UK. You’ll need to look carefully, though, as they’re well camouflaged.
Listen for: A trilling, high-pitched ‘see-see-see-see’ sound
Look out for Birdwatch every month on our Almanac pages, which are full of seasonal things to see, do, note and notice.
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Follow in the steps of Lyra, Alice and Morse with a bookish outing around the dreaming spires of Oxford
You could happily wander without aim around Oxford for an entire weekend, but if you would prefer a stroll with purpose, there are lots of places with literary connections to stop and stare at. We’ve put together a Simple Things literary outing to Oxford for you, with suggestions for bookish sights to see and fictional food and literary lunches to fuel you along the way.
Christchurch College, Cathedral Garden
Our tour begins in the south east corner of the city centre with an entry to the wonders of Oxford. On the wall between the gardens and the deanery is a very special gate, said to have inspired Alice’s door into Wonderland from the bottom of the rabbit hole. It’s said the ‘real’ Alice (Liddell) who lived at the deanery when her father was the Dean of the college, used to watch her father rush through the gate on his way to Cathedral services - always late, just like the White Rabbit. Only the Dean could cross the garden so Alice was only ever able to catch glimpses of it through the gate…
Christ Church Dining Room
While you’re at Christ Church, do join a tour so you can poke your head round the door of the dining room and see the dining hall which is said to have inspired The Great Hall of Hogwarts in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
The Botanic Gardens
Just beyond the cathedral, are the peaceful Botanic Gardens. Take a bottle of Cointreau (or perhaps a coffee if it’s a little early still) and channel your inner Sebastian Flyte from Brideshead Revisited. Then make your way to the lower garden where you will find in one corner, the bench where Will and Lyra from Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy agree to meet each year. It’s charmingly covered in ‘Will and Lyra’ graffiti now and a beautiful spot to rest a while.
Merton College gardens
Just around the corner at Merton College is an old hexagonal stone table where JRR Tolkien is said to have mapped out many of his story ideas. Take a good look round for hobbits, before you leave and walk up Logic Lane.
New College Lane
At the top of Logic Lane, cross the high street and then walk up Queen’s Lane to New College Lane, where Dorothy L Sayers’ novel Gaudy Night ends. Here, Sayer’s crime writer character, Harriet Vane finally accepted Lord Peter Wimsey’s marriage proposal.
The Ashmolean Museum
Make your way past the Bodleian Library to the Ashmolean Museum where you can see the Oxford Dodo, stepped right out of Wonderland. The Ashmolean is also home to the gold posy rings that served as the inspiration for Tolkien’s One Ring in The Lord of the Rings.
The Morse Bar
If all that museum wandering has left you with a thirst, fear not. It’s time for a real ale or two. Just around the corner is the wooden panelled Morse Bar at the Randolph Hotel, where Morse’s creator, Colin Dexter, is said to have written several of the books about everyone’s favourite Oxford detective.
The Covered Market
After that ale, you should have worked up an appetite, so head south again past St Peter’s College to The Covered Market, where you might well spot Lyra, in an alternative Oxford, darting among the stalls and shops. We think if she were here today, Lyra would enjoy a Mediterranean lunch in the bohemian Georgina’s, perhaps washed down with a colourful milkshake at Moo Moo’s.
Exeter College
Close by Lyra’s covered market is Exeter College, which Pullman based Lyra’s home, Jordan College, on. Pop your head into the courtyard and see if you can spot Lyra’s attic window she climbs out of onto the rooves.
Lincoln College
Leave Exeter and walk past Jesus college, which was once home to the author William Boyd, and make your way south to Lincoln College, where John Le Carre studied. Some of his later novels, such as Our Kind of Traitor, were based on his time at Oxford as an undergraduate.
St Mary’s Passage
Head down Brasenose Lane and turn right in front of the Radcliffe Camera library. Down here, you’ll find St Mary’s Passage, and opposite the entrance to the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, you will find the Narnia Door, heavily etched and with a lion’s face in its centre. It’s apparently the inspiration behind CS Lewis’s wardrobe door into Narnia.
We’ll leave you here. Don’t go accepting any Turkish Delight from ornately dressed, strange women, now…
Our tour of Oxford was inspired by our Weekend Away feature in our March issue, in which Lindsey Harrad stayed at Keble College. You can read all about it from page 114.
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Slow down the pace a knot or two with a luxury boating break that takes in the UK sights from a
new vantage point
How much do you know about Britain’s canals? Boating holidays bring a whole new perspective to the UK countryside, giving you access to waterside towns and villages, a quieter way to travel and a whole lot of wildlife along the way. A real departure from everyday life, it can feel like a big deal, but with ABC Boat Hire you can dip your toe in with a short boating break.
DISCOVER THE UK’S WATERWAYS
Giving you the opportunity to explore the UK’s best inland waterways and adopt a slower pace of life, a boating holiday is an idea worth getting on board with. All ABC boats come with comfortable berths and modern amenities – including on-board WiFi. With almost 200 boats, 15 start points and over 1,500 miles of waterways to explore, it’s time to start planning your best holiday yet.
WIN A BOATING BREAK
One lucky reader of The Simple Things can win a short break with ABC Boat Hire. You can pick your route from selected start bases throughout England or Wales, and bring up to seven guests on your eight-berth boat. Choose from either a three-night weekend break or a four-night midweek escape. It’s a great prize worth up to £1,000, and all you need to do is start planning your next adventure… For more info, visit abcboathire.com or follow on Instagram: @abcboathire
HOW TO ENTER
For your chance to win a short boating break worth up to £1,000, enter by clicking the button below and answering the question by the closing date of 4 May 2022. The winner must be available to travel before 1 November 2022, subject to availability. Win a boating break, worth £1,000
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The competition closes at 11.59pm on 4 May 2022. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The prize is a self-drive, self-catering canal boat holiday with ABC Boat Hire for up to eight people. It’s subject to availability from selected start points and must be taken before 1 November 2022. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.
Get your garden ready for guests with stylish, long-lasting furniture and elegant accessories from the
Lazy Susan range
Now is the time to get out in the garden. The rays of spring sunshine are pushing through the clouds and, as human nature dictates, we’ll be gathering outside as often as we can to catch them.
When spring arrives, we begin to make plans with hearts full of optimism, taking advantage of the warmer weather to invite friends and family over for food, drinks and laughter. New memories will be made while we stretch out in the sun – or even as we huddle under a parasol when spring showers attempt to ruin the fun.
The Simple Things has teamed up with garden furniture specialists Lazy Susan to help you kit out your garden for the sunnier days, with five lucky readers in with a chance of winning £100 each. Each hand-crafted piece of timeless, sand-cast aluminium furniture is powder-coated to produce a lasting finish. Rustproof and rot-proof, Lazy Susan products are also maintenance-free and designed to live outside all year round. That means no unlucky soul has to haul the garden chairs back into the shed or underneath a cover once you’ve taken the fun inside.
With such a wide range of beautifully crafted designs and sizes, you’ll be enjoying the great outdoors every chance you get. Shop around to find the perfect set for your garden, patio or even your balcony. Finishing touches such as cushions, parasols and accessories are also crafted with durability in mind, so you can find everything you need to create lasting memories in the heart of your garden.
HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win one of five £100 vouchers, click the button below and answer the question by the closing date of 4 May, 2022. Terms and conditions below.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The competition closes at 11.59pm on 4 May 2022. Five winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received, and notified soon after. The winners cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.
Knot your way to a knotty, natty carrier for your water bottle, leaving you hands free… perhaps to do some more macrame?
All you need to make this cross-body bottle carrier is to master a few simple knots, and you’re away. Everything you need to know, including the knot techniques are in our instructions and all the equipment you need is the rope, some tape and a little patience. Put aside an afternoon on a long weekend to create your bottle holder, or maybe make it your project for April and do a little every day.
If you’re not too TIED UP (sorry) this month, you might also like to make the macrame bag that’s featured in our April issue. Turn to page 106 to find the instructions.
Download the instructions for the macrame water bottle here.
Image: Shutterstock
What’s in a name? April, May or June… just a few of the women who have inspired songs.
Take a listen on Spotify here
Or search ‘Simplethingsmag’ on Spotify to find all our playlists
Photography of Pitstone Mill by Alamy
Etymology from the land of giants and jousting
The phrase ‘tilting at windmills’ is often said to ‘come from’ Cervantes’ Don Quixote. In fact, the phrase never appears there, but it does refer to the title character’s strange belief that windmills are giants… "with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length” that he must fight.
Tilting, for those who are wondering, means ‘jousting with lances’, and the phrase has come to simply meaning ‘fighting an imaginary enemy’.
It was first used in reference to Don Quixote 40 years after the novel was published, in The Character of a London Diurnall in 1644, where John Cleveland wrote "The Quixotes of this Age fight with the Wind-mills of their owne Heads." But the phrase as we know it today is first used in April 1870 in the New York Times, which reported that the Western Republicans “have not thus far had sufficient of an organization behind them to make their opposition to the Committee’s bill anything more than tilting at windmills.”
If you’d like to tilt at a windmill, or perhaps just enjoy a spring walk to a windmill, do read our Outing feature from page 60 of the March issue.
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Photogrphy: Ali Allen
The trick with making infused oil (be it chilli, lemon, orange or a herb oil like this) is to use dried produce. Fresh ingredients can dilute the preserving qualities of oil, which could lead to the growth of botulism. Dried oil infusions, however, are safe. This oil uses leftover woody stalks from fresh thyme and the papery skins from garlic – both of which don’t contain significant moisture yet offer a surprising amount of flavour.
MAKES 250ml
12-15 stripped thyme sprigs (just the woody stems, no fresh leaves)
The papery skins from 7 garlic cloves
250ml olive or rapeseed oil
Tuck the stripped thyme sprigs and garlic skins into a sterilised bottle or jar. Pour in the oil, ensuring the ingredients are fully covered. Seal the bottle or jar with a lid or cork and leave to infuse for 2–6 weeks at room temperature then strain or decant into a fresh (sterilised) bottle. Best used within 1 year.
Cook’s note: Always use a good quality extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil (which has a relatively mild flavour so it can take on the thyme and garlic). Store in a dark glass bottle (to prevent oxidation) in a cool, dark place, well away from the oven or any other heat sources.
This make is from our Early Spring Home Economics feature by Rachel de Thample, with recipes for now, for this week, for your freezer and larder, with clever ways to make more of a meal and use leftovers well. It includes recipes for Thyme & 40 Garlic Clove Roast Chicken, Sweet Potato Wedges, Lemon Kale with Marcona Almonds, Cheat’s Aioli, Anchovy Butter, Kale Caesar with Chicken Crackling, Chicken Bone Broth, Sweet Potato Soup, and even a Kale Stalk Powder for those serious about using every inch of their veg!
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Illustration by Beatrix Potter, courtesy of the V&A Museum
How the author and illustrator’s codes were finally cracked with a little help from history
You might not necessarily associate the unassuming author of Peter Rabbit with ciphers and code-breakers, but if we learned anything from our Looking Back feature on Beatrix Potter in our March issue, it’s that she is the last person you should assume anything about at all.
After her death, a series of notebooks full of tightly curled, tiny cipher were discovered by a family member. The coded books were written by Potter between the ages of 15 and 30, and utterly defeated the relative who uncovered it, so they enlisted the help of Potter Superfan Leslie Linder.
Even so, it took Linder years of scrutinising the tiny, indecipherable handwriting to find a breakthrough, which turned out to be the year 1793 and the Roman numerals XIV (16). He worked out that it must refer to the execution of Louis XIV in 1793, and from there he was away… Well. We say ‘away’...
Though it transpired the ‘code’ that had eluded everyone for years was a simple alphabetical cipher of the type Scouts might use, Potter’s handwriting was so small, it was years until the code was fully broken and Potter’s teenaged thoughts about artists, museum, exhibits and more, were finally uncovered.
The code is a simple switch of letters for other letters, some numbers and a few symbols, too. You can find a full list here if you wish. And Atlas Obscura has still more information on the code
Now, what’s the Potter Code for ‘Mr MacGregor’s juiciest radishes: this way’? Asking for a (furry) friend.
You can read more about Beatrix Potter in our March issue’s Looking Back pages. The exhibition Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature is on at the V&A until 8 January 2023.
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Photography: Catherine Frawley
Classic Mexican street food that's traditionally charred on the grill then covered in a creamy sauce
Serves 4- 6
6 medium ears of corn, husks removed
120g sour cream
150g mayonnaise
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp ground chipotle powder (substitute with smoked paprika for a lower heat)
2 tsp lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice
40g Cotija (or feta cheese), crumbled
Lime wedges, to serve (optional)
Jalapeños, to serve (optional)
1 Preheat the grill to medium/high and place the corn on a baking tray underneath. Grill for 2-3 mins on each side, turning as the kernels become golden and charred. Remove and place on your serving plate .
2 While the corn cooks, make the sauce by whisking together the sour cream, mayonnaise, coriander, garlic, chipotle, lime zest and juice. Taste and season if needed .
3 Using a brush or spoon, coat each ear of corn with the sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Serve with lime wedges and jalapeños.
Elotes are great on their own and with crusty bread to mop up but if you want to make an occasion of it, you can find all the recipes for our Mexican Gathering in the March issue, starting from page 40, and including crab and mole tostadas, spiced cauliflower and black beans,. pulled pork carnitas and prawn and pineapple rice salad, alongside much more.
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Empty the larder with an inventive twist on the French classic Crêpe Suzette for a Shrove Tuesday pudding (or a pancake pick-me-up any time of year). They’re quite fancy but if you’re up to making them for breakfast, who are we to stop you?
Ingredients
For the crêpes
110g plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
2 eggs
200ml milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
50g salted butter
1 medium Seville orange, grated zest only - Available in some supermarkets
1 tbsp caster sugar
For the sauce
150ml orange juice (from 3-4 medium oranges)
1 medium orange, grated zest only
1 small lemon, grated rind and juice
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp Chase Marmalade Vodka
50g unsalted butter
a little extra Marmalade Vodka, for flaming
Method
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
2. Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake. Stir the orange zest and caster sugar into the batter.
3. Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter. These little crêpes should be thinner than the basic pancakes, so when you’re making them, use 1⁄2 tbsp of batter at a time in a 18cm pan. It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be.
4. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate. If the pancakes look a little bit ragged in the pan, no matter because they are going to be folded anyway. You should end up with 15-16 crêpes.
5. Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.
6. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients - with the exception of the butter - in a bowl. At the same time warm the plates on which the crêpes are going to be served. Now melt the butter in the frying pan, pour in the sauce and allow it to heat very gently. Then place the first crêpes in the pan and give it time to warm through before folding it in half and then in half again to make a triangular shape. Slide this onto the very edge of the pan, tilt the pan slightly so the sauce runs back into the centre, then add the next crêpe. Continue like this until they’re all re-heated, folded and well soaked with the sauce.
7. You can flame them at this point if you like. Heat a ladle by holding it over a gas flame or by resting it on the edge of a hotplate, then, away from the heat, pour a little Marmalade Vodka into it, return it to the heat to warm the spirit, then set light to it. Carry the flaming ladle to the table over the pan and pour the flames over the crêpes before serving on the warmed plates.
This receipe was originally created for our February 2013 issue by the Chase Distillery and London's Crémerie Crêperie. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.