From Laughing to Lockdown: Newsletter #1 (April 2020)
How the hell did we get here?
A month ago, I was sitting in my apartment in Seville. I had packed my suitcase ready for a trip to Australia. It was meant to be a two week holiday, a quick trip home to go to a wedding.
I was excited to go to Australia, but I was even more excited to come back to Spain. My plans were pretty simple. Go to the land down under, then go back to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago.
Starting in Lyon, France, the journey would have taken 12 weeks. I quit my job in preparation for my trek and bought all my walking gear; jacket, shoes, Mary Poppins-style backpack.
Who would have thought that a month later, I’d still be in Australia, my flights cancelled as the world went into lockdown!
But it’s not all bad. Yes, my Camino plans are on hold—but the roads aren’t going anywhere. Yes, I can’t get back to Spain until at least summer—but in Australia I can still leave the house to exercise. I also have access to an oven.
Now, those of you who haven’t lived in Spain won’t understand what a luxury that is. Spanish apartments are pretty poky, and the Seville summer heat is deadly. Put an oven in your house and you’re almost guaranteed to sweat yourself out of existence in August!
I’m taking full advantage of my surprise Australian holiday to sit back, bake bread, develop my tasting skills, and finally sink some effort into the blog.
So, welcome to my first newsletter! It’s a monthly round-up of the things I’ve been making, tasting, learning, and creating.
Monthly Round-Up: March 2020
In My Kitchen:
Like everyone else, I’ve gotten into quarantine baking this month. My monthly favourites have been making my first homemade focaccia, and perfecting this Spanish orange and almond cake I’ve been making for about 10 years.
In My Belly:
Before the lockdown, my last meal was at Greenhouse Canteen in South Brisbane. It feels good to be back in a place with tasty vegan food!
Speaking of veggie fare, check out my guide to calçots, Catalonia’s onion addition.
In My Glass:
I’m taking advantage of being back in Australia, and getting more familiar with Aussie wines. This week’s highlight was this crunchy, brambly, low-intervention barbera from South Australia.
On My Page:
Lockdown means time to catch up on reading. I got around to reading The Dirty Guide to Wine, a soil-lover’s intro to the world of wine! Learn the basics of wine, broken down by soil type rather than region or grape. For example, did you know that granite and limestone both create wines with high acidity, despite having vastly different pH levels?
In My Ears:
All this time with no work (and almost no play) leaves loads of time for podcasts. One of my all-time favourites, Gastropod, has just released an ep on the White vs. Whole Wheat Bread debate. I’d always assumed that white bread was a thing of the modern era, but did you know:
- it goes back thousands of years? Plato even played out this debate with his students!
- white bread’s always been associated with social elites (it was cleaner: less rat poop and dead bugs in the flour).
- it was favoured by the progressive movement at the start of the 20th century. White bread equalled modern tech (steel rollers and factory lines) and hygiene. It also got associated with the eugenics movement and supposed white superiority.
- fortified and enriched white bread was seen as a crucial weapon in the fight against the Nazis and the Commies. Do your country proud: eat Wonder Bread.
Around The Web:
Check out the other things I’ve been publishing around the web this month:
- A Feature on El Botin, the World’s Oldest Restaurant | Matador Network
- Traditional Paella Recipe | Spanish Sabores
Thanks for This Month!
Thanks for reading this far. I hope that you’re happy, healthy, and staying sane while locked indoors or under quarantine. Until next month, I hope you stay well fed and watered! I’ll be spending April baking bread, and making a sourdough starter so I can stop buying dry yeast and start baking entirely from scratch.
For now, stay tuned on my Instagram for more regular updates.