AND BREATHE...

Well, I didn't intend to disappear for so long but since January life has been turned upside down and this feels like the first chance I have had to breathe and just be in almost four months.

For quite a long time we had been contemplating a move and after going backwards and forwards for an equally long time we both started to job hunt in London. So, shortly after my last post I had a few interviews and by the middle of February I had a job and then all of a sudden Chris did too. We spent a month packing boxes of kitchen paraphernalia, and any (large) number of books and records and headed south. From there on we had to contend with the flat rental nightmare of central London so stayed with our very patient friends (thank you all) and spent our free time eating in restaurants out of necessity, which gets very tiresome very quickly, and looking at flats. Just in case you're unsure moving 500 miles, starting new jobs and having nowhere to live really isn't that much fun and to top it all of it seemed to be the coldest April ever. Then, finally, the sun came out, we settled on the area we definitely wanted to live in (the decision helped along by an abundance of bakeries, small food shops, and Turkish restaurants), we found a flat, and as of last Tuesday we are in. Okay, so we haven't completely unpacked yet and all those boxes of books and records still need to be moved from Edinburgh but we can settle, briefly.

Last night we celebrated by taking ourselves off to Ottolenghi for plates of crisp salads, lemon sole, and king prawns. I would tell you what we ate in more detail but to be honest all I can remember apart from the taste is the bare bones of the ingredients and that wouldn't be doing it justice. It was delicious and relaxed and I would go again in a heartbeat although maybe for their renowned brunch next time if we can get through the door and only if you can have pudding after brunch because I don't think I would ever be able to ignore the counter overflowing with tarts, cakes, and meringues.

We are off on holiday to Santorini on Thursday but in the meantime I will be breaking out the pots and pans, opening up the few cookbooks that have been moved so far, and cooking.