
Wednesday, July 09, 2014

, Posted in
Food
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Restaurant Review
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For weeks I had been craving ramen; really craving real ramen and whinging about not being able to have it so when my boyfriend said he'd found a restaurant that did ramen, and it appeared to be real ramen, I was over the moon. That restaurant was The Peach Tree in Shrewsbury where Chris Burt and his team bring love, enthusiasm and passion for great food, local ingredients and fabulous flavours together on plates that can only be described as works of art.
I was in love with the food from that very first night and when we returned a fortnight later we had the huge honour of meeting Chris and talking about the upcoming opening of Momo No Ki and the launch of his book. To hear that they were opening another restaurant next door dedicated to the amazing foods and flavours of south-east Asia already had me ecstatic, but to hear and see Chris talk about it with such passion combined with the exquisite pictures of food in the book had me enraptured.
Tonight was opening night and it was as wonderful as I expected. On arrival we were greeted by the lovely Kirstie and made to feel like we were walking into a friend's home. The decor and vibe works perfectly to capture the essence of a more casual dining experience partnered with the exquisite food and service we've come to expect from The Peach Tree.
The Piggy Bits brought over from The Peach Tree are the perfect fusion of Shropshire ingredients and south East Asian flavours. Crispy and moreish, these little morsels of deliciousness wetted the appetite perfectly; and also gave the boyfriend an opportunity to practice his chopstick skills.
The Kangaroudon consisted of perfectly cooked kangaroo that melts in the mouth along with a dashi that was packed full of umami. The Taishoken combined the wonderfully crispy Middle Farm pork belly with perfectly cooked Togarashi scallops in a delicately balanced Xo dashi. And the MoMo Mojito is quite simply awesome.
So whether you fancy ramen or fish and chips, either The Peach Tree or Momo No Ki promises to take you on a multisensory journey of wonderment.
Momo No Ki is available now from all good book retailers
@MomoNoKiRamen and @ThePeachTree1 are both on Twitter

Monday, May 26, 2014

, Posted in
Feminism
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If when I tell you misogyny exists you retort so does misandry; if when I tell you I get groped in bars you tell me it's because of how I look; if when I call you out on defending a convicted rapist you go on to make a rape joke you are the reason I'm a feminist.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

, Posted in
Feminism
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0 Comments
Whether it was my recent feminist rants and tonight's discussion about misogyny or not, I was acutely aware on my walk back from the station of feeling like a potential victim purely by virtue of being female. I was acutely aware that the clacking of my heels were potentially an advertisement to a possible attacker.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

, Posted in
Aston Villa
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Football
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Booing is an age-old cathartic expression of disapproval that supposedly makes angry fans feel a bit better. But does it?

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

, Posted in
Facial Palsy
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0 Comments
I can live with a wonky smile. I can live with a Roger Moore eyebrow. I can live with getting Botox. I can live with not being able to pull duckface. I can live with not being able to frown. I can not live with The Fear.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

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0 Comments
Copley Square is one of my favourite places in the world. It conjures memories of balmy summer days, fresh squeezed lemonade, dads tossing footballs to their sons, piano concertos, market stalls selling sunflowers as big as your head.

Thursday, February 07, 2013

, Posted in
Triathlon
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Four months tomorrow I turn 30. When my mother asked what I wanted to do for my 30th she was expecting an answer along the lines of a house party, a spa day, a meal, a weekend away. The answer she actually got was the Blenheim Triathlon.

Saturday, December 01, 2012

, Posted in
Aston Villa
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Food
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Restaurant Review
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VMF gets better and better every time I go and is fast cementing it's place as one of my favourite restaurants in Birmingham.
From the delightfully powerful cauliflower and leek amuse-bouche to the decadent chocolate cake with pistachio sabayon, every plate was presented immaculately and packed full of flavour.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

, Posted in
Pressure Kids
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3 Comments
Playing their first hometown gig in almost twelve months, Pressure Kids once again took Tamworth by storm. Fans packed into the small upstairs room at Em's Bar on Friday night to witness an energy packed, vivacious performance that has become a trademark of Pressure Kids shows.

Monday, October 08, 2012

, Posted in
Books
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While everybody was gushing over the sex scenes in 50 Shades, many failed to recognise the damaging message that it is romanticising a controlling, abusive relationship. Not that there is anything wrong with engaging in an S&M lifestyle, but the first book many women and girls, by their own admission, have ever read is the story of a young, naive girl being coerced into signing a contract that blurs the line between consent and control. Not to mention that it is written in the style of a teen romance crossed with a Mills & Boon novel and that most of the sex scenes are more cringeworthy than erotic.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

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0 Comments
On New Year's Day this year I woke up to the news that Dave Hodgson had lost his battle with metastatic melanoma. I'd never met Dave, he was a friend of my boyfriend at the time and living in Dubai, but we talked regularly on Twitter, mostly late at night about baseball and bucketlists.

Saturday, September 08, 2012

, Posted in
Books
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There's only one man I am more in love with than Jack Reacher, and that's Joe Pike. I think I may have a type when it comes to my crushes on literary characters - a bit moody, quiet, devastatingly attractive and massive.

Saturday, September 08, 2012

, Posted in
Aston Villa
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Football
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Deciding to voluntarily put yourself through hell, cycling 400 miles across two countries, about fourteen counties, lots and lots of big hills, in gale force winds, over six days, may seem like a completely crazy idea, but that's exactly what Alex Butler and Andy Smith decided to do.
It was their way of showing their support to their good friend Stilyian Petrov, who was recently diagnosed with leukaemia, and also to support all the amazing work that Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research do.

Thursday, June 07, 2012

, Posted in
Aston Villa
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Football
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0 Comments
This time last year I was asking Randy to get me Quique Sanchez Flores for my birthday and he completely let me down and gave me McLeish instead. That was probably the worst birthday present anybody ever gave me, but I'll forgive him as he has redeemed himself somewhat this year.