A League Of Her Own

Clifton Softball

I've noticed that my most recent posts are food and drink related. Not wanting to pigeon hole myself (or appear to be a greedy guts) I decided to try my hand at something active. I had a sniff around Google and found a merry bunch of sports fans who gather on Clifton Downs each Wednesday to play Softball. The e-mail invite that followed from 'The Fluffy Bunnies' conjured up thoughts of prancing through the grass throwing a spongy ball about. However, it ain't no "soft" ball. Where does the term 'softball' come from anyhow? It's like having a small planet hurled through the sky...and I thought Camogie was a health hazard.

Within minutes of standing 'outfield' I was transported via memory lane to schoolday PE classes where I ran away from any sporting equipment that was lobbed in my direction. So here I am, daydreaming on the edge of Clifton Down, when I get rudely awoken by one of my team mates yelling, "Catch!!" Jaysus, the fright when I looked up and saw a yellow Pluto flying towards my head. I ducked and feigned a lame catch type gesture until a fellow Bunny leapt in and whipped it out of my path. Right, going to have to pay attention. This is a matter of life or hole in head.

I slowly started to understand the goings on and eventually got a chance to swing the bat. I managed a comedy 360 and when I did hit the ball it was out leaving me to do the walk of shame to the sidelines. The team were very encouraging despite our pitiful score. I later found out that the Fluffy Bunnies aren't exactly at the top of the league so rocking up and meeting new folk is on everyone's agenda, which was exactly what I wanted to achieve. They even go to the pub to drink beer and eat chips, they're just like me but with mitts and bats.

On the first game I teetered between hating it and really enjoying it so I decided to go back and give it another shot. Week 2 saw the introduction of running for Sinéad Nua, I hit the ball and got to run to each base and eventually 'home'. I was met with a little applause by my new team. This game we won however I can't take any of the credit....well, maybe some. Hoorah, I am not deficient in sportiness!

http://www.cliftonsoftball.co.uk/
Image: cliftonsoftball.co.uk/

Food, Glorious Food!

The Montpelier Basement

Happy New Year! Yes I know I'm late but I have decided not to acknowledge January this year due to wisdom tooth related trauma. Handily, going straight to February makes it easier for me to begin Sinead Nua 2011 with a FEAST! January is too riddled with Post Christmas Bloat for the experience to be comfortable. Having been on the mailing list for the Montpelier Basement for 3 months I managed to bag a coveted spot for their Anti Valentines meal. To my relief, there wasn't a musical card in earshot.

Elly and Dan host these underground dinner parties at their basement flat in Montpelier. Elly owns a cafe in the area and Dan is a food blogger. They both seemed very calm, collected and on top of the 7 courses (plus 2 veggie options) they were preparing on their humble domestic cooker. Once some 17 guests had settled, conversation started flowing along with the BYO wine. I was at a creative table comprising of a dressmaker, a magazine editor & a freelance photographer. The general atmosphere in the room was that of an intimate dinner party but the food that came out of that little kitchen was of the standard you'd expect at a pretty darn good restaurant. It made me suspect they were hiding a secret room full of massive flaming hobs and commis chefs. All the ingredients were locally sourced, including a delicately tender Old Spot pork belly & a rarebit made from Bristol Beer Factory Stout. Despite the room being full of strangers the evening trickled along with ease, dish after dish arrived effortlessly and the conversation continued to flow.

After the final course our accomplished hosts popped from table to table to chat with the guests. Astoundingly, I learned that the dishes served on their 'Basement' evenings are usually tried and tested on the night with the exception of their house speciality, Gorwydd Caerphilly and Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout Rarebit. Brave? Nope, these people KNOW how to cook and this was evident in each course. The flow of each dish after the other suggested a well planned dining experience. A palette cleansing boozy ice between the pork belly and the Baked Egg Custard Tart hit the spot, why keep the boozy course til last? It seems they're passionate enough about their craft and their venture that as soon as invites circulate the mailing list, they are confined to their computer for an evening just to answer the eager booking requests. These people must LOVE to cook!

Just before I left I was grilled (geddit?) by Dan with the most trying of questions - which was my favourite course. How could I answer that?! Cruel. At the risk of appearing too diplomatic, I choose all of the above.

http://supperclubfangroup.ning.com/profile/TheMontpelierBasement
Image courtesy of The Montpelier Basement.

Lions Eat Turkey

LDB Thanksgiving Dinner

This month, rather than challenging myself, I've been training my stomach for December 25th. It's a very important part of the Christmas countdown to avoid trouser buttons popping off at a result of sudden bingeing. Roughly 17% of casualties admitted to A&E on Christmas Day are grannies with flying button related injuries*. I say train the belly with mini binges from now until the big day. The Americans have the right idea by eating anything that will accompany roast turkey in the last week of November. It is part of a very clever public holiday which they've called Thanksgiving - a name given by grannies who have escape aforementioned injuries on Christmas day**.

I am on the mailing list for Lions Drink Bellinis, a fab social group offering "fun, social and affordable nights out in Bristol". When the invite for Thanksgiving dinner came through I snapped it up, especially considering it was being headed up by the two American members of the group. In lieu of buying a ticket, guests were asked to bring along a dish of their choice. I opted for Pumpkin Pie. However having never tasted, let alone baked, one I was to have no idea how successful my attempt would be until the night, bit risky eh? Plus I was told the day before that one of the American lads was also making one. Oh the pressure...

Thanksgiving is traditionally a family oriented holiday, food is cooked & enjoyed at home with family. So, in true American style, we were 30 people sat around a long table at the Rainbow Café Restaurant in Clifton, conversation bubbling and the aroma of roast turkey wafting it's way through the hungry crowd. Further down there was a buffet of turkey, ham, macaroni cheese (yes, that's what i said!), mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, red cabbage and home made gravy. Although each person brought just one dish each there was enough food there to feed a small army. And I haven't even listed the desserts yet. Along with my pumpkin pie was pecan pie, apple pie and chocolate chip cookies. Hello there food coma!

In addition to learning about quirky American eating habits I met some great people. Amongst the guests were a couple who enthralled me with their passion for travel & a group of ladies offering up their single male friends to eachother in a bartering style, that's my kind of currency!

The BBC Food Pumpkin pie recipe I followed did me proud (see pic). Now I have a few additions to the Christmas feast this year - mac cheese and pumpkin pie (not together of course...although ya never know with these American fellas...)

Some other events run by this fabulous group include cider tasting, steak nights, wine & cheese workshops & fondue evenings - as you can probably tell a lot of these are centered around food and drink, fab fab fab.

* This isn't an actual fact but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.
** This isn't true either.

http://www.lionsdrinkbellinis.com
Image: Jo Guy