Thursday, March 24, 2011

On coronation chicken, springtime, and very little else


I know this is incredibly unsophisticated of me, but I'm totally craving coronation chicken. I know. It's hard for me to say out loud. It's so outdated. And just now I caught  myself googling recipes. And maybe--just maybe--I'll make it today for lunch and then eat it in secret and love every bite. 

Omigosh. Coronation chicken was created by Constance Spry and a friend of hers! I feel so validated. I just learned about her in my design course on Tuesday. They Say she has single-handedly impacted the way that all of us decorate to this day, whether or not we're conscious of it. And when the Design Museum had an exhibit on her in 2004, it so inflamed the menfolk that James Dyson himself left the Chairmanship of the Board and Terence Conran--the founder of the Museum--also nearly quit. Isn't that crazy? All because of an exhibit on the influence of a society florist from the 50's. Maybe they were actually upset over her creation of coronation chicken. Someone should look into that.

I'm going to Luxembourg next month with Aya! We are going for spring break. One of our classmates, the Leggy Amarylis (see previous post), is from there so we're going to go stay with her and her family! I'm so excited. I can't stop thinking about the cheese. And Aya and I are spending a weekend in Paris on our way there, and a weekend in Brussels on our way back. And we're doing all our travel by train, which is SO NICE. I won't be stuck wearing nine layers of clothing (literally) to get my baggage weight approved, and I can bring back cheese food, and there's so much nice reading time on trains...* sigh * It's just the nicest way to travel.

Two days ago I was looking for some garden-esque pictures to use for a presentation, which led me to one of my old blogs, which led me to this picture that I took years ago, which makes me happy.


It's been so sunny and warm the past two days. It feels like spring and makes London seem like a completely new city, high-spirited and charming and not at all like the brown-and-gray depression-trap of the winter months. I feel high from the feeling of the sun on the back of my neck.

I'm defrosting my stash of corn tortillas right now! I'm going to make my friend and favorite food blogger Annelies's homemade tortilla chips. I can't wait. And then I'm going to spend the next two days eating chilaquiles and migas, also using her recipes. yumyumyumyumyum.

I shouldn't be hungry-blogging. Let's return our thoughts to Spring, in the form of Oxford, where I had the pleasure of spending a weekend a couple years ago:

Isn't it so charming and picturesque?


Ooh, I forgot the Dean made a scramble from the eggs straight out of his chicken coop. That was delicious.

Alright. I gotta go strap on the feeding bag. I'm starved. And I've got more school work to do. Or something.

Big hugs and love,
Essss

8 comments:

  1. Wow! This inspired me to look up Constance Spry and why the Design Museum's founders would be so annoyed --> and I found this article from Design Sponge and I love the quote on the top image so I thought I would share it with you. "Open your mind to every form of beauty" - lovely! ^_^
    http://www.designspongeonline.com/2011/03/past-present-constance-spry-floral-diy.html

    And loving the spring weather in London too. Look out for the magnolia blooms in the parks - they're stunning ^_^ xx

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  2. That quote is great! * scrawling it down to keep * And thanks for the magnolias tip--I can't wait to see them!

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  3. I totally agree...traveling by train is really the only way to go. So relaxing because you are "forced" to do nothing for an extended period of time, no pressure on you to go and do this or to think you should be doing that. I love it!
    ENJOY!!!
    p.s. I can't see the lower pics :(

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  4. Son of a!! Okay, I just re-uploaded them; let me know if you still can't see them??

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  5. I can see them! Awesome...LOVE the one of the tree, I've never seen one like it! Do you happen to know what kind it is?

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  6. ha! I was going to, but then I accidently ate all the chips! I just blinked and then they were GONE. I don't know what happened. I think someone stole them.

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  7. I think it's called an 'old one.' But I'm not sure on that.

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  8. Digging the new commenting platform. Did you cook with tortilla chips? :D Love that there is something actually called Coronation Chicken and it's fashioned by a design person. Only in London...

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