Cooking lesson !

I've realized that my not being able to cook is a problem so I have decided to ask my friends to teach me (and my mother, I hope at some point she will reveal the secrets of her irresistible satay sauce recipe to me so I can share it on this site!). I had my first lesson today with my friend Bharti. The menu consisted of these classic Indian dishes: Tarka Dhal, Dry Potato Curry, Jeera Rice and Chapatis (Indian flat bread). I prepared the meal for 6 people and under Bharthi's wise guidance I'm proud to report that the meal turned out to be very tasty. I will be posting the recipes on the 'My Stuff' page as soon as I can. Hope you will be tempted to try some of them out ! Lots of love tt.

Photo (c) Sylvie Bardet

Etta, Chaka and Gladys

My wake up song this week is a live performance by 3 great singers : Etta James, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight accompanied by the wonderful BB King. It is the classic blues song : "Ain't Nobody Business". Music like this makes you glad to be alive! Hope you enjoy. Lots of love tt.

Slightly foxed editions and Persephone Books

Reading a memoir by the late Richard Kennedy of his youthful apprenticeship at Leonard and Virginia Woolf ‘s Hogarth press. It’s refreshing to see Virginia Woolf remembered as rather vibrant and sophisticated and not simply depressive, and the eccentricity of writers even running a printing press ( I mean that’s as absurd as an artist running a record company!) is heart-warming. The Bloomsbury memoir is coupled with ‘A Parcel of Time ‘, where Kennedy describes his childhood and how it is affected by the First World War. I’m really enjoying this book but what I am really dotty about are ‘Slightly Foxed Editions’ who publish it [link]. I’ve eagerly collected all their titles since I discovered them about two weeks ago! These are books you want to hold AND touch. There are some really exciting independent publishing houses now that understand that reading is not solely a visual activity but also a tactile one. Another great bonus is that often they are re-publishing books that have been unjustly forgotten and unavailable. Persephone books [link] is another fine example of this. They publish gorgeous editions – using a fabric design for the book’s interior which match the mood and date of the book. ‘Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day’ by Winifred Watson is my current favourite, how could we have lived without this book for so long ?!! Lots of Love tt

+81

My wake up song this week (a rather exciting week, a belated surprise birthday party had been arranged for me and although I suspected some thing, I thought it involved an elaborate new lighting system for my apparment and not a party !!) is by the truly fruity & delightful Deerhoof. '+81' is a song of such epic loadiness that it should really be the theme of a cool children's TV show that you never understood as a child but mourn wistfully as an adult... anyways, I hope you enjoy !! Love tt

ps : sorry I couldn't embed this video on my blog. Please follow the [link]

City paradise

Last week I saw some films at the animation festival in London. 'City Paradise' by the film maker Gaelle Dennis really caught my eye. I hope you enjoy it ! Love tt

Ellie Greenwich

Sadly, I've just heard that the legendary Ellie Greenwich has passed away. What an extraordinary talent, not only did she co-write some of the best songs ever including 'Be My Baby', 'River Deep, Mountain High', '(And) Then He kissed Me', 'Chapel of Love', 'Leader of the Pack', 'I can hear music' to name a few, she also helped to define the sound of the girl groups of the 60s, worked with the young Neil Diamond and produced records at a time when it was practically unheard of for a woman to have that role in the studio (unfortunately, I still have difficulty naming a female music producer working today). And as a singer she was no slouch either as the clip I've chosen demonstrates, her voice is lovely and strongly reminiscent of Dusty Springfield. The song is from 1967 'Goodnight, Goodnight'. She will be greatly missed,lots of love tt.

Les Papillons Noirs

My wake up song this week is from one of my favourite artists Serge Gainsbourg. He also sings on the record with Michele Arnaud. I love the way Gainsbourg balances Arnaud's rather sober voice against the very sexy, laid-back groove & slightly macho strings, it's just perfect. Hope you enjoy ! Lots of love tt.

Podcast 5

Podcast 5 has been added !! If you haven't already just sign up to the mailing list to gain access to the Attic to listen to the podcast. Hope you enjoy, lot's of love, tt.

40 !!

Whew ! I was 40 last week. Thank you very much for all the kind birthday wishes I have received. I remember when I was a teenager there was a television series called " 30 something " and I used to think the characters were so old and their problems completely inscrutable. I'm now 40 and I still think that, I mean I still think people in their 30s are old, and inscrutable !! I guess I'm going to have to let go of that particular view of the world ! Anyway, here is a photo of me on my birthday mooching around Marseille... Lots of love tanita

Bang On

My wake up song this week is 'Bang On' by The Breeders. It's the kind of the record that makes me feel like I'm in a cartoon ( perhaps, it's the slightly Scooby Doo guitar riff or the desire it gives me to jump up and down ). Anyway,it's wonderful and just coming in over two minutes perfectly bite-sized,I hope you enjoy it ! Love tt

Abba Mania

My five year old nephew, Louis, has begun writing. In a neat hand, hardly a child's scrawl, he patiently begins : 'Honey, honey','Thank You for the Music ', 'Mamma Mia ','Voulez-Vous'... By the fourth line it becomes clear. He has memorized the greatest hits of Abba, and it is to these glorious titles that his early penmanship is dedicated, not 'dog', 'cat', 'sat', 'mat'. I am absurdly proud, not only is he advanced, he has great taste !! Love tt

Addie Pray & Staff Benda Bilili

Have you ever seen the movie 'Paper Moon' ? I'm reading the original book that the film is based upon by Joe David Brown. It's so good that I can't understand why it isn't more widely read or why it was out of print for so long. I have to resist reading it all in one day because I don't want to lose the company of such great characters as Addie Pray and Long Boy. I'm also loving this track 'Polio' from Staff Benda Bilili, the raggedy guitar sound and soulful playing is awesome - wish I could play like that !! love tt

Su Blackwell and Dorian Gray

I've just discovered the works of the artist Su Blackwell. She works with paper and creates book-cut sculptures that are really enchanting. If you have a moment check out her website where you can see some of these wonderful pieces [link]. Last night I also saw a truly atmospheric production of ' Dorian Gray ' in the tiny basement theatre of the already small Leicester Square Theatre [link] ! I really felt transported to another time by this production, and I was enraptured by the classic story. I guess the two experiences have a similar charm, even if they have quite dark and adult themes, there is a magical simplicity in how they are presented that makes you feel rather like a child. Lots of love tt

Seli

I met up with friends in Italy this weekend in the beautiful city of Vicenza. Naturally we ate Baccala, drank Prosecco and visited some Palladian villas ! I also did a fun interview for a radio show ' Libro Oggetto ' [link] which is all about books. I think it will be broadcast in September & will be available as a podcast for one week after the broadcast date. Unsurprisingly, my wake up song for this week is Italian, ' Seli ', a performance featuring the extraordinary Edda Dell 'Orso ( most famous for her work with Ennio Morricone ) from the soundtrack of the film ' 4...3...2...1... Morte '. It's such a bouncy track it will have you running round the block ! Hope you enjoy, lots of love tt.

Books

Paris again this week. It is very hot and quite empty and in the evenings walking across the city you feel like you are in an early 1970s psychological spy thriller ( or maybe that's just me especially when I reach the fun fair in the Jardin des Tuileries !! ). I met up with Larry Klein the producer and musician for a very refreshing chat and cup of tea. We also browsed around the Galignani bookshop where he kindly bought me ' The Selected Essays of Gore Vidal ' and I chose for Larry, Edmund White's ' The Flaneur ' ( we were in Paris ! ). It's a book that expresses how seductive the city is and also what makes me feel sort of distrustful and less comfortable in it. Anyway, it's a real joy to wander into a bookshop and pick out a book for someone you are just getting to know ( I 'd almost forgotten this very old fashioned pleasure ). Here is a classic track that Larry produced with a lovely performance from Madeleine Peyroux. Hope you enjoy, lots of love tt

Podcast 4

Hello ! Podcast No. 4 is available to listen to. Those who have already signed up to the mailing list will know how to access the attic to listen to the podcast, and those who haven't, well, all you have to do is sign up and you will be given a password which allows you to listen to all 4 podcasts. I hope you enjoy !! Lots of love tt

Comme les Rois Mages

Sorry ! I haven't been the most dedicated blogger recently. London has been wonderfully sunny so I've spent most of my time outside. Anyway, in honour of this lovely summer, my wake up song is one the happiest ever written. I think it's vaguely about 3 kings, Christopher Columbus, a blue pond and cosmic truth ! I imagine the writers were very happy when they wrote this one ;) People outside of France might be more familiar with Sheila from her 70s disco period and her big hit under Sheila B Devotion " Spacer " but this earlier song from the 60s is deliciously groovy too. Hope you enjoy the song and the video which appears to have been shot in a carpet shop ! Lots of love tt.

Michael Jackson

So sad to hear that Michael Jackson has passed away. He was a genius and listening to the radio today I was reminded of just how much unbelievably wonderful music he gave the world. He is going to be so missed, lots of love tt.

I've just been to a tea party organized by Refugee Action [link] to celebrate Refugee Week [link]. I had the pleasure of sitting with Sysay from Eritrea and Nasreen from Iraq who told me about their work for Refugee Action and their own personal stories which lead them to seek refuge in this country. They were truly inspiring and compassionate women. I hope if you are in the UK you will be able to attend some of the events this week, perhaps question your assumptions and prejudices about refugees and get more involved. Lots of Love Tanita

Paris

I'm in Paris this week and I'm addicted to the vegetarian thali at the Krishna Bavan restaurant in La Chapelle, an area near to Gare du Nord. I'm also rather taken by this song "Live good" by the French band "The Naive New Beaters". The video is great ! Love tt.