Culinary Adventures In My Kitchen

Hello everyone,
Apologies for my silence in cyberspace. I`ve been rather busy doing dull things like studying and eating. Since I dont have any exciting pictures to offer (no I didn`t go Skydiving this week- although I know a girl who did- and no I wasn`t on a Sri Lankan beach either - though another friend was there quite recently) I thought you might like to see what Ive been eating these days.

Homemade Biryani (not made by me!!)

 First we have the amazing home-made Indian Biryani specially cooked by a friend for another friend's birthday. I promised myself I will learn to make this amazing dish one day. The flavours just exploded in my mouth...mmm...The cook said she spent 2 hours with her mom discussing this recipe. Delicious accompanied with a glass of pink lemonade and a lighthearted Bollywood movie.

Yummy Cake (also not by me! from PAUL)

 Voici le cassis aux pommes et aux mûres du pâtissier PAUL, une chaine française importée à Londres. Une copine burkinabaise nous a apporté ce délice lors d'un dinner de filles. J'adore inviter du monde dans notre petite cuisine étudiante - c'est tellement plus agréable que de souper seule, et d'ailleurs on mange toujours mieux lorsqu'on cuisine pour d'autres.

Veggies that I helped chop

Roasted Red Peppers (my creation)

J'ai fait cuire des poivrons bourrés au fromage halloumi à quelques reprises. Cette recette du BBC est très facile à suivre et c'est parfait pour les végétariens (il y en a plusieurs en développement international).

Jumping for joy because yes, you can eat well in London!!

What else have I been up to these days...
-Started zumba classes - wow my calves hurt the first time.

-Last Thursday we had an awesome networking event, the "Industry Dinner". I talked to some very dynamic people, from NGOs, consultancies and even from the world of journalism (Al Jazeera). We had a lively debate about the KONY 2012 video which has gone viral. One of the girls at my table has volunteered with Invisible Children, so it was great to get her point of view on the whole debate about whether it's better to inform and get people passionate about an issue (while oversimplifying the message) or whether it's better to inform fewer people but strive for a fuller understanding of very complex issues.

-I finished watching Downtown Abbey. I do love an over-the-top drama in period costume.

-I'm looking forward to my trip to Istanbul but rather sad that this is my last week of taught classes! How quickly time flies, in hindsight. I may update with a few more pictures of my brunches and lunches in the upcoming week. Loads of people from my program are flying to exotic places like Uganda and China, so we all want to celebrate and spent time together before going back to the grindstone in preparation for exams and dissertations.

Je vous embrasse,
Miss Engagée xx