Mathrock!

Clearly my blogging goes through some kind of cycle: even though there are exciting food-related things going on in my life at the moment, I feel much more inclined to talk about music:

First up though: I spent an excellent few days in Belfast, partly with Will and partly at a wedding. In particular, we spent a fine evening getting drunk and listening to the Rundgren. Belfast is a fine city, and home to the UK's finest coffee :Clement's.

But, onto music. First of all, a fantastic track by Tom Waits that can be downloaded
from the web: Step right up

Secondly, Tuva's premiere throat singing rock band, Yat Kha - listen to their cover of "LOve will tear us apart" and weep.

Thirdly, I have discovered the genre "Math rock", typified by odd time-signatures and dissonant harmonies. Don Caballero is math rock, apparently. It's all a bit shit, but I'm finding some gems. Not sure if I'll be drunk enough in the near future to try "Mathcore" though.

I might start referring to myself as Mathcore...

The world of writing up...

...involves more Diagnosis Murder than you'd expect.

This episode, which I'm watching with one eye as we speak, costars Robert Vaughn, and has Patrick Macnee as a guest. Very odd...

Roquette/Rocket/arugala

Waitrose are my supermarket of choice --- I know that sends certain people into spasms of antismugness, but it's an addiction I can't shake.

Nevertheless, they are very silly. They've taken to calling rocket "roquette", a doubly absurd affectation when you consider that rocket is an english salad with a very long history of being eaten in england.

This advert makes it all better. It's the one where people wave salad at each other and sing, and if you haven't seen it, do.

Burgermeister

Sorry for the extended leave of absence --- I'm sure you've all managed to get by...

So, I AM the burgermeister. After visting the Port of Call in New Orleans, and having my burger rare, I couldn't not buy a mincer and make my own burgers. Armed with some braising steak from the farmer's market (aged to perfection), I rediscovered alchemy, turning meat that needs two hours to cook into a burger that took ten minutes, and was sublime.

I guess you had to be here.