Rafi's Spicebox

Before coming to live in England I’d never tried Indian food in my life and for quite a while I didn’t dare to eat anything else than mild kormas fearing that all the other recipes were too spicy for my delicate Italian stomach. Then some Indian friends introduce me to REAL Indian food and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately I am not too keen on takeaways and our visits to Indian restaurants can become very expensive, given the quantity of food than my husband and son can consume. This was before discovering Rafi's Spicebox.

This isn't your usual kind of take-away. Rafi's Spicebox is a family run Asian delicatessen specialising in hand blended curry mixes. The first Spicebox in Sudbury was originally set up in 1989, by Rafi Fernandez, who after spending many years teaching Indian cooking wanted to supply people with the necessary exotic spices and ingredients that were hard to find. The shop soon evolved and today has become an institution. With 28 different curry mixes to choose from, you just need to add meat and vegetables and you have an authentic curry at home within minutes! The packs are made while you wait to your own specification and the expert staff are on hand to offer advice, recommendations and serving suggestions. The York store, which opened in 2004, is only the second Rafi's Spicebox in the UK. The shop also sells other Asian deli products, and is always popular with locals and visitors.

I've tried several dishes - the 'Ma's Paretal' above is amazing and a little bit different from your usual korma, tikka, balti, jalfrezi, etc. You can also order online on their website www.spicebox.co.uk. Just choose how hot you want the curry to be and P&P is charged per pack. For the cost of the spice pack plus other ingredients you can easily feed 4 people for under a tenner. Highly recommended.

Wordless Wednesday Night

Ramblings

I sometimes wonder if haven’t taken on too much lately. Apart from my usual work, my house seems to have become a hotel or rather a restaurant open at every time of the day (and night!). My husband and kids are already very demanding with regard to food, but now I often end up cooking also for my son’s girlfriend (who is really very nice, but seems to spend more time here than in her own home) and our friend's two boys next door who are in need of all support they can get. I do not mind this at all, but I’m not sure how long I can physically endure all of this. It’s very time-consuming and tiring. The other day we had also some “extra” friends around and I had to prepare for 12 people! And it wasn’t even a Sunday lunch or a dinner party….

I have never taken seriously people devoted to home schooling their children. I used to consider them a bit eccentric and even rather snob. I think kids need to go to school to get to know other children and start living a social life outside the family. Now I realize what a difficult decision home schooling is. There must be some serious reasons for these people to do it. It's hard work too. In my case it wasn't my choice. I have to teach my son for his Italian AS Level as his college doesn't have Italian among their subjects and the only school in York that could teach him doesn't accept external pupils for safety (aka administrative) reasons. More work for me.

Show your spots!

BBC Children in Need is an annual British charity organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. In 2009, the last completed event, the charity raised over £20 million on the broadcast evening.


A mascot called 'Pudsey', a yellow teddy bear with a spotty bandage over one eye, was introduced in 1985 and has become a regular feature.

The money contributed to Children in Need is distributed to organisations supporting children in the UK aged 18 and under who have mental, physical or sensory disabilities; behavioural or psychological disorders; are living in poverty or situations of deprivation; or suffering through distress, sex abuse or neglect.

The 2010 appeal is taking place today 19th November 2010, with this years theme and slogan being 'Show Your Spots, Let's Raise Lots!'

To highlight this occasion my daughter’s school is having a non-uniform day when children can go to school either wearing something spotty (Show your spots to raise lots!) or dressed in multicoloured outfits to celebrate our differences. Throughout the day children will take part in activities to enhance their understanding of the anti-bullying theme.

In my husband’s school the teachers will dress up in funny costumes and the children will have the chance to throw wet sponges at them. I wonder how heavy will hubby's la grand dame costume will be before the end of the day!

PLEASE DONATE!

0345 7 33 22 33 OR

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/donate

There's Progress now...

It's confession time.

Take That are my guilty pleasure. I had been waiting for this album delivered at home via Amazon for weeks (yes, I'm a real saddo!) and when I finally found it on my doorstep on Monday morning I was overjoyed (it doesn’t take much to make me happy!). Unfortunately the case was cracked (oh dear!) but the CD played without any problems, and the nice people at Amazon are sending me a replacement. I had my reservations about Progress, but was quite impressed after the first listen. It is probably Take That’s must relevant and mature record and definitely a change from the ballads and Gary’s vocals of old, but the stomping anthems of SOS (no, it’s not an Abba cover!) and Kidz make up for that. The quality of lyrics on the album is increasingly mature and even profound - who'd have thought it! The Flood, Pretty Things, Flowerbed and Eight Letters are beautifully written with some rousing piano and strings and the former. What do you want from me, is probably the most surprising track, reminiscent of Marks solo material. All in all a real surprise, I wasn't sure about Robbie Williams coming back into the fold but he adds an extra dimension tonally which somehow completes the sound!

Saying that, I can understand why some fans might be disappointed. Take That fans are used to a particular style, a particular sound - upbeat pop, lush sweeping ballads - and those are few and far between on this album. But the title is apt - Take That as a band HAVE progressed, and are still progressing. Their latest mature sound is a lot way from the cheesy pop of their very early days. This album seems very much an attempt to position themselves in a more indie/rock scene, and I for one like it.

The BBC described it as "the strangest, most ambitious and most exciting record its creators have ever been involved in" and I'd say that pretty much sums it up for me.

Here or There?

Coming back home here in the UK after some time spent in my Italian “home” always throws me into a turmoil. It makes me wonder why I bother to come back here when I feel so happy there. But there is not my real home anymore as I live here. But my heart is not here, is it? My heart is where the people I love are. But the people I love are both here and there. So where is actually home? Here and there, everywhere. Or maybe nowhere? It's not a philosophical question, it’s just the way I feel: torn. Since I left Italy to live abroad. Half of my life away from home. Half of my life at home. It will get better. It always does. Eventually.