These Things That I Love

Since I last posted here I have been married and widowed, fallen in love again, changed jobs twice, started a podcast, watched almost all my friends have babies and mostly survived a pandemic.

I started this blog almost 15 years ago. Maybe I’ll bring it back again? Maybe I won’t!

Four sydney rock oysters, warmed in a wood oven and dressed with a horseradish emulsion. Eaten sitting at the bar of the fanciest restaurant within walking distance of my house. Ice cold gin martini (wet and with a twist) on the side. Ordered on a whim on a regular Thursday at the beginning of Summer, because sometimes you need to make a regular Thursday into an event. Followed the oysters (briny, warm, creamy, with a slight kick at the back of my throat from the horseradish) with a glass of Italian red, and a rare steak with anchovy butter, eaten slowly. Savoured. Tipped generously even though I didn’t have to. Walked home in the late evening summer light.

The first, a dozen prawns, caught that morning, grilled for a few minutes under a pile of rock salt so that they stayed juicy. Served with half a lime to squeeze over the top and eaten with my fingers, whilst drinking a cold, cold glass of white wine. October in Spain and still warm enough to sit outside.

Walking home through a quiet suburb after dinner. Last night in Tokyo. The cicadas are still buzzing with daytime intensity. The air is softer and cooler than it was when I arrived.

I found a bush of late blooming jasmine. Found it by smell. Most of the flowers brown and wilted. But the smell! Like the jasmine you smell in expensive perfume shops, and there it was on the street for free.