Thailicious

Thai food in pubs; not exactly revolutionary is it? It seemed like the most exotic gastronomy when the concept first appeared a few years ago. Now, it seems that most pubs will serve you up simple, slightly greasy set menus of noodles and some form of meat. The Churchill Arms, however, is different. For a start, the pub and restaurant are separate entities in the same building. The pub being packed to the ceiling with Churchill- and WWII-related memorabilia, and serving a lovely selection of ales; the restaurant at the back is full of plantlife and tropical fauna. This separation, and the dedicated, attentive staff starts things off well. Having to wait for an hour for a table is a good indication of the popularity of this place; it's always packed. And when the food arrives, it's worth the wait - succulent prawns with a massive plate of noodles and crisp veg; extra-spicy meat dishes and prawn crackers from heaven, the Churchill's one place where simple food is kept simple, but still tastes delicious. And for a flat charge of £6.50 per dish, it's a steal at twice the price. A couple of weeks ago, during another visit to this very pub, an interesting question was posed: "Churchill or Icco?" Once I realised that the Churchill had attained that status of being as much of a London essential as Icco's, I knew it was time to make it one of my Staples.

It Would Be So Nice

It's been 2 years since I went on a holiday. I mean, a proper holiday with beaches, suncream, and swimming in the sea. A holiday where you come back refreshed, chilled and brown. Not feeling broken like after a festival, or buzzing from the excitement of a city break and weighed down with extravagant purchases. Last time I went on a proper holiday the best thing about it was its simplicity; the biggest decision of the day was whether to have fresh pineapple or mango for lunch. It's not often that you can say that about your day when you live in Britain, let alone in central London. When my parents invited me on a trip to a little Greek island, I was a little reluctant at first - it's hardly rock and roll to holiday with your Mum and Dad - but then I realised that was precisely what I needed; time away from everything and with nothing specific to do for a week or so in the sun. The necessity of taking a proper holiday is undeniable, and I can't believe I'd left it this long since my last one! But when you only have 20 days of paid holiday a year, It seems incredibly greedy to use a third of it just doing nothing. Not so. We reverted to a simple routine of getting up late, going straight to one of the 2 beaches on the island, swimming and lazing in the sun, returning for a siesta, then heading back to the beach for an afternoon, often until 7pm. Then we'd head home again, and go out for dinner. Where we'd eat the most luscious, fresh and delicious seafood I've tasted in a long while. The freshly-caught squid stuffed with vegetables and feta was so good that I had it three times in the space of a week; I mean, when are you going to get that in London? And then we repeated the same routine every day. It sounds dull, but it's the ultimate luxury - having the time to do absolutely nothing. I've come back feeling much more chilled out (well, almost; the return journey was LONG) and recharged. I've said it before, but it;s so important to get out of an urban environment as often as you can, to reconnect with nature and switch yourself off. I'm sounding a bit Mother Earth, but I'm serious. I've always been of the opinion that relaxation time and sleep are just as important to your sanity as work, and this holiday has proved it. Next summer I'l be off to a beach again somewhere, and I urge you to do the same. Relaxation is the ultimate Staple, and the only was to do that is on holiday. Other Holiday Staples:
The beautiful island of Halki with my family
An iPod full of electronica
Stuffed squid from Remezzo
Mythos lager
A woven straw hat from New Look (with some Liberty fabric wrapped around the base)
Prescription sunglasses
Havanaias flipflops

Pizzalicious

To continue where I left off (some weeks ago), another of my regular haunts in central London where everything...just...works...it's Charlotte Street Staple, Icco. Like Sam Smith's', I've been coming here since I was a student, and in the last 6 and a half years, the prices have gone up by 50p. Where else in London can you get an entire pizza for £3.50? I think the best thing about Icco (Charlotte Street, and also in Pimlico - though I only discovered this a month or so ago) is that it's no frills simplicity. There's no faffing about with rocket, snooty waiters or complicated menus. You go in, order what you want and pay, find a seat and wait for the nice lady to call your name. Recently, they've installed a speaker system which means you're more likely to hear. It's also one of the places in London with the most comprehensive range of Snapple flavours. Et voila, you're sat, with mates (probably a little drunk), a knife and fork and some delicious, simple, thin crust pizza. What more could you want? Icco (Italian Coffee COmpany) is one of those places that exemplify what's great about London; it can be simple, filling, inexpensive and genuinely full of pleasant people. A rarity, and even more so in its location, surrounded by the posh restaurant alley of Charlotte Street, and a stonesthrow from gourmet mecca Soho. Of all the eateries, this one is the most authentic, simple
y because it does a great thing well.

Parental Guidance

I love it when your parents go on holiday - you get the house to yourself if you're younger, they get some time out, and when they get back they are infinitely more relaxed. And, if you're lucky, they bring you presents. In my parents case, they've moved on from souvenit t-shirts (but only after repeated requests) to culinary delights. This time, after a recent trip to the Pelopennese, they brought these melt-in-the-mouth Kalamata olives. Succulent and gloriously (almost aubergine) coloured, these little pearls of joy are almost gone despite me only getting them yesterday. There's something wonderfully decadent about olives, their salty taste is that of holidays, and the stones mean that you always have to have a receptacle with you; they're terribly social and deserve more than most, the term amuse-bouche. So next time yours go away, drop a gentle hint for some food; failing that they'll bring you a bottle of plonk - but if you're lucky, they'll bring you both. Bizarrely for me, this was quite a culinary staple, but I have to give an honourable mention to Nigella Lawson, whose fabulous inflection and insistence on decadent easy food has inspired me this week, amongst other Staples:
Olives
Wahaca Mexican restaurant
Wearing shirts with the top button done up and no tie; the 'air tie'
Pine Nuts
The Salisbury Pub in Covent Garden
Nigella Lawson's Express Italian programme
The National's album, 'Boxer'