This is one of my favourite recipes, I'm not sure where I grabbed it, but it's quite versatile although I do stick to the recipe reasonably closely (it maybe one of Dave Burton's from the DomPost some years ago...).
Bow-tie pasta salad
225gm bow tie shaped pasta
1 small zucchini thinly sliced
1/2 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
1c pitted black olives chopped
1c crumbled feta cheese
1 large tomato chopped
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes in oil thinly chopped
2c baby spinach washed and chopped
1 1/4c italian herb vinaigrette (see below)
Cook pasta
Combine everything into a large bowl and mix gently.
On Sunday we wandered down to what's rapidly becoming a favourite venue in Leicester, The Musician see Mary Gauthier. I first heard her a few years ago when I got lent Between Daylight and Dark. She's that rare thing, a singer-songwriter who manages to hold your attention for an entire album. Her lyrics don't deal with the usual subjects, rather they remind me of Tom Waits. Very character driven, exploration of problems, lives, etc. For those of you who like Tom's music, but are put off by his voice, I'd recommend trying Gauthier. This is pronounced Go-Shay, according to her website.
The songs characters include Waitsian motifs such as the Hobo, given both Waits and Gauthier have well recorded histories of substance abuse, there does seem a strong empathy with the down and out.
The gig was just her and a fiddler, Tania Elizabeth, who was rather good (and hot). So good I've included a youtube of her as well.
Tuesday night was Greg Trooper who I came across thanks to a review inthe DomPost for Make It Through This World in 2005. Again singer-songwriter, although that albums veers a little too much into Eagles territory in places. Thankfully live he doesn't, and he's quite funny on stage. The songs are, as Trooper described them, generally focussed on depressed women. And they are great live.
Also enjoyed the layout of the Musician for these two intimate gigs, seats and tables. Great stuff. And they have great ale on tap. Even had Otley for the Trooper gig. Woohoo.
I've been listening to Anna Calvi quite a bit after her appearance on Jools the other week, picked up her album on vinyl (came with mp3 download). Good stuff. She reminds me of early Scott Walker (Scott 1-4) stuff, big voice, spacious production, and although initially standard sounding pop songs, the lyrics are a bit subversive.
Tomorrow I have the mighty caped-prog-gods Pallas, and Saturday has Andrew and I rocking along to Roger Waters.
If I'm still awake, we're thinking of going to Hayseed Dixie on Monday, as they are rather fun live.
Leprosy, I caught it when I was only three,
Bits and pieces keep fallin' off a me
(to the tune of Yesterday)
Armadillo's are transmitting a new strain of leprosy to people in the southern US. I guess this is another case when if you're not with us, you're with the, um, Armadillo's. Although apparently 95% of humans areimmune to it, so I guess the report card will read 'must try harder'.
Although I still think it's uber cool that Armadillo's are the only reservoir for leprosy that transmits to humans. Article here.
So lay off the roadkill.
This has been a public service announcement from me, and Benriach Solstice.
I had P.F.M for the 20th, but the buggers just went and cancelled. Nevermind, I have my best investigative researcher finding a new gig (hear that Mr A, you're my best researcher...).
It appears that there are local body elections here at the same time as the referendum. I've found that out thanks to flyers, LibDem's have sent three (desperate), Labour one (pleading), Conservatives none (unsurprising given public feeling, and the area) and sadly none from the BNP. The BNP flyer provided the highlight of the last election, inbred cross-eyed freaks, on a garish background. Brilliant.
In a change from being an Aussie, I was accused by a bus driver of being a South African yesterday.
Currently having annoying times at work. i'm considering blogging about it, but may hold off for a couple of days.
For Thurs night music night, I've flicked through the iTunes library and created a Epic Guitar Awesomenesss playlist, feel free to suggest those I've missed. BTW not a huge led zep fan, so none of them, and kinda held off the extreme metal stuff.
