Produced by Barney ‘Duke’ Browner comes two superb tunes recorded by The Volumes. Duke Browner was of course famous for many other recordings and notably the Northern Soul classic Crying Over You.
The Volumes were a Doo Wop soul band formed in 1960. Ed Union was lead singer backed by Ernest Newsome, Elijah Davis, Larry Wright and Joe Travillion. They disbanded in 1971 and left us with some fabulous music.
Postage is £5 (1-3 records) – We mail on Friday and provide proof of posting. Text 0044 (0) 7788 215744 or email deesu@hotmail.co.uk to reserve or for more information.
The Volumes – My Kind Of Girl is also available £60 click below:
Tracey Emin has received a damehood for her services to British art. She was appointed a CBE in 2012 and made a freewoman of Margate in 2022.
Tracey Emin with her exhibit My Bed 1998
There is nothing like a dame go the words of the song written by Rogers & Hammerstein and there are certainly few like Tracey Emin. In this day and age, Royal honours might seem outdated but they still mean something when awarded to artists of all genres.
“It’s really cool,” she says. “I don’t think there’s ever been a Dame Tracey before.”
The Tent 1963
The Tent – also known as Everyone I Have Ever Slept With was another controversial piece of art that challenged some observers. The work was not simply the names of people she had been in sexual relationships with, but people she had been intimate with more generally. The 102 names included her grandmother and two foetuses.
Tracey Emin was born in Croydon on 3rd July 1963 and brought up in Margate, Kent. She has survived bladder cancer and set up the Tracey Emin Artist Residency (TEAR). She converted the old public baths in Margate into artists’ studios, where 10 students get rent-free for 18 months.
She has led a full life and like many of our generation, perhaps fuller than was good for us. Edgy might be how would be describe her today. Years ago she was considered anti establishment.
Her work says a lot about her childhood and upbringing. Much is written about her early life including rape and relationship difficulties so we won’t go into that here. If you want to find out more about Tracey Emin, this YouTube interview is interesting > HERE
What is art?
Art is down to personal taste and conceptual art in particular can draw criticism from audiences. I remember the ridicule of Tracey Emin’s – My Bed when it went on show in 1999 at the Tate Modern. Many people simply dismissed it as rubbish and deplored its placing in the museum.
If we stop and study a piece of art and try to understand its meaning, we engage our brain and find the hidden meaning in the work. This is an important part of our development and helps us grow mentally and understand people from all walks of life.
If we encourage our children to be curious about the world around them, they will grow up to be more rounded, knowledgeable and understanding.
I’d like to know your opinion about conceptual art, please get in touch HERE
In the past, some people criticised the work of Matisse and Warhol for not being proper art. However, that was because they were unconventional and breaking new ground in the art world.
Much more than a recipe book, this is a culinary history of Italy region by region. Written by a man who loved his homeland and enjoyed good food.
Antonio Carluccio
This book stays on the coffee table when not in use in the kitchen. The superb photography and stories of life in Italy through the centuries make it a fascinating read and reference item.
Sometimes described as the Godfather of Italian cooking, Antonio Carluccio was one of the great Italian cooks who made London his home from home. He inspired many young chefs and home cooks.
For more information about the man and his journey through life, go to the website HERE
The Mr Organic range of tinned tomatoes are free from added sugar and salt. The tins are BPA free which means they do not contain bisphenol A. BPA is a chemical often used in industrial food packaging.
Available from Waitrose, Ocado and Holland & Barrett the Mr. Organic range of pastas and sauces are perfect store cupboard items. Made in Italy with no added preservatives, we love them for their no added sugar or chemical ingredients.
Penne £2.12 / 500g Ocado
The Mr Organic range includes whole wheat pasta. It’s nutty flavour is superb and makes for a really healthy option.
£1.60 / 400g Ocado
Plum, cherry or chopped tomatoes are all packed within a few hours of being harvested. Mr Organic tomatoes 4 pack offer from Ocado > HERE
£2.25 / 350g Ocado
Made with sun ripened Italian tomatoes and mushrooms this is an authentic flavoursome sauce.
The true story of Barbie-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot. A woman who believed in herself and her ability to create a truly great champagne.
Widowed at 27 years old, she found herself as heir to a vineyard in Reims. In the face of serious fierce opposition from Monsieur Moët, she developed not just the vines but also the important process of removing the sediment from champagne during the manufacturing process.
The film gives a great insight into the life and times of France at the turn of the 18th century and the Napoleonic war. As importantly we see the quiet, confident and intelligent woman who battles the uncertainty of weather conditions and Santé to madame Clicquot.
Chorizo, courgettes and chillies added to a basic carbonara make a delicious, quick and easy lunch or weeknight supper. Quartering and slicing your courgette and finely slicing the spring onions gives an attractive finish.
Get your ingredients ready while the spaghetti is cooking
Ingredients:
150g spaghetti
50g lardons
50g chorizo, chopped
1 medium size courgette, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 small chilli, chopped (optional)
50ml single cream (optional)
1 pinch chilli flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
basil, a good handful
Step by step:
Step 1
Put your spaghetti on to cook as per the pack instructions, minus about one minute than stated cooking time.
Step 2
Prepare your ingredients and cook off the lardons, chorizo for a couple of minutes until they are nice and crispy. Add the courgette and chilli. After approximately 5 minutes, turn the heat down.
Step 3
Add your spaghetti to the pan, using tongs and stir in a little cream and cook for about a minute on the low heat. Add a splash or two of the pasta cooking water if needed. If you want more of a classic carbonara flavour, add a beaten egg with some grated parmesan to the sauce.
Step 4
We have used a thin spaghetti and made a light creamy sauce, Penne also works well. Chilli flakes are always a favourite store cupboard item.
Stir the spaghetti through the other ingredients in the pan and check the pasta is done. Serve with the basil scattered over and a bowl of grated parmesan to the side. A squeeze of lemon juice is always welcome.
Store cupboard essential
We use a generous handful of Basil
Using Penne, the pasta soaks up all the sauce and a good grating of parmesan on top to serve.
Shakshuka originates from North Africa and the Middle East and the name comes from the Arabic word meaning “mixed” or “shaken up”. Originally a vegetarian dish, it is often cooked with chorizo or merguez sausage.
You can vary the colour of shakshuka, simply by changing the ingredients. Make it green using green peppers and chillies and chopped spinach. Yellow peppers and chopped butternut squash will give you a nice orange colour.
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
100g chorizo, sliced
2 roasted red peppers from a jar
1 garlic clove, minced or chopped
a good handful of coriander, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 birds eye chilli, chopped or chilli flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)
Tomato sauce
4 fresh tomatoes
4 large eggs
chopped parsley and mint to garnish
Chorizo comes in a variety of flavours
Step by step:
Make the shakshuka sauce...
Step 1.
In a large lidded pan, sautee the chopped onions and chorizo and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add the peppers and garlic with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt, coriander, paprika, cumin and chopped chilli, or chilli flakes (if using) and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chop or mince your garlic to vary the flavour
Step 2.
Add the tomatoes and a good glug of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for about 15 mins. Uncover and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened.
When the sauce is ready, add the eggs...
Step 3.
We added poached eggs separately on this occasion. Normally, we just make wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs.
Serve the dish in the pan garnished with the parsley and mint. Some crusty baguette is great for mopping up the sauce.
Tips and variations:
Use fresh peppers if you prefer
Chopped spinach goes well, added after 10 mins of cooking
Mince your garlic for a milder flavour
Add a drizzle of tahini when serving for extra flavour.
Use a sweet paprika – Tesco have a great one for £1
Seasonal asparagus with a nutty brown butter pastry crust, punchy capers and gruyère – perfect for lunch or tea time snack.
Ingredients:
250g asparagus, trimmed
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
250ml double cream
1 lemon, zested and segmented
50g gruyère, finely grated
2 tbsp capers, drained
Brown butter pastry:
225g plain flour
150g butter
1 egg
Step by step:
First – make your pastry
Heat the butter in a small frying pan, swirling frequently, until foaming. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it starts to turn brown and smell nutty. Transfer to a bowl to cool. When it is cool, transfer to the fridge to chill and turn solid. Once cold, cut into cubes.
Whizz the flour and brown butter in a food processor until it looks like damp sand, then add the yolk and 1-2 tbsp of ice-cold water to bring it together. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
Now make the filling
Steam the asparagus for 3 minutes, then rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Keep 6-8 of the best spears whole, and chop the remainder into 1cm pieces.
Heat your oven to 200C / 180C fan / Gas 6. Roll out the pastry to 2-3 millimetre thick and use it to line a 23cm tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork. Fill with a piece of baking paper and baking beans. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and cook for another 5 minutes until the base looks dry.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cream, lemon zest and cheese with some seasoning.
Trim the pastry case and place the chopped asparagus over the base. Scatter over the capers and pour over the egg mixture. Arrange the remaining asparagus spears on top and cook in the oven for 35-40 mins or until set but still with a slight wobble to the middle. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Tips
We roll the pastry to just 2-3 millimetre thickness which makes a nice texture and helps ensure you don’t get a soggy bottom
Steaming the asparagus retains more of the nutrients and flavour. M&S have an excellent quality steamer for £55.
HEAL 