Blog Meeting 5

The best attended blog meet-up so far. About 22 members of "The London Bloggers Meetup Group" turned up to the Camel and Artichoke near Waterloo on Tuesday night. I drank a couple of glasses of very acceptable house red, talked to complete strangers and then went home.

It was a good choice of venue, the reserved tables upstairs gave us all room to sit comfortably. The people I spoke to were all suitably sociable - but then you wouldn't go to such an event unless you were, I suppose. They do food there which I will bear in mind for a future occasion. And it was very easy to hop on a train back to Wandsworth Town when came the time to leave.

Well done Andy for organising it.

For previous incarnations of this group see: "Blog Meeting 3"

Our house is not Georgian

But not too far off. We had previously thought that "Our house may be Georgian". Subsequent research shows that it is at least 1861. It is looking unlikely that it is earlier but we (that is Mary) has not definitively ruled it out.

We have been using http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ to research family history but it is also very handy for house detective work using the census records.

We know that our house and our immediate neighbours were Myrtle Villas in the 1860's; we have a reproduction Stanford map of 1862 which shows that clearly. And there in the 1861 census are 1, 2 and 3 Myrtle Villas. Living at number 2 are:

Sarah Banister 44 [ ] Coffee House Keeper
Elizabeth Banister 40 [Sister] Coffee House Keeper
Isiah Carver 62 [Head] Land Proprieter
Julia Carver 24 [Daughter]
Ervan Williams 20 [Lodger] Chemist

Working forwards, 2 Myrtle Villas turned into 28 North Street in 1871 and then, sometime in the early 20th century, turned into Fairfield Street.

Working backwards, the 1851 census shows the adjacent terrace 1-8 North Terrace (now the site of Fairfield Drive) but the next property listed is Tonsley Hall with no Myrtle Villas.

However some of the people at 3 Myrtle Villas in 1861 turn up in the earlier 1851 census at Ebenzer Place, also in Wandsworth. It is faintly possible they renamed the houses, took the census in a different sequence and we were still there. So the final jury is still out.

Jazz on a Sunday Night (Take 2)

This Sunday it was the turn of Jan Garbarek* at the Royal Festval Hall as part of the London Jazz Festival.

We had never heard of him until a few years ago but our copy of the Rough Guide to Jazz kept falling open at that page so Mary figured we had to go buy an album. The first one we bought was the haunting and evocative Visible World. Since then we have acquired several more so when we saw that he was appearing it was a no-brainer decision to go and see him.

It was a fine concert, two hours without an interval. It was a quartet but to my untutored ears there was a definite pecking order in the band. Surprisingly Manu Katché on drums was the driving force then Jan Garbarek on sax with guitar and keyboards definitely playing second fiddle (sorry could not resist).

The FT said:

"When Jan Garbarek last toured the UK, he played in cathedrals. His music fitted: icy, architectural slabs of devotion.

At the London Jazz Festival, the Norwegian saxophonist presented a very different proposition. He had mislaid two members of his usual touring quartet. Eberhard Weber, his double-bass player, is ill, and was replaced by Yuri Daniel, a Brazilian resident of Oslo playing an electric guitar that might have been carved from teak. And the Parisian Manu Katché took the place of the percussionist Marilyn Mazur. Katché at his best is an indispensable drummer, giving a jazzy fluidity to rock records just as often as he lends a rocky energy boost to his jazz dates.

This youthful, hard-driving rhythm section was a challenge to which Garbarek rose. He could occasionally be seen slapping his thigh, which in someone so austere was as surprising as if he had stripped to the waist and gone stagediving."

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007

Full review on "FT Review".

* Wikipedia on Jan Garbarek

Jazz on a Thursday Night

We went to see Al Jarreau* at The IndigO2 with our friend AndreaA. We ate in Thai Silk beforehand and then straight in for a prompt start, no support band.

Al was performing with the NDR Big Band who opened up then Al was out with the first number. The first half of the concert was a variety of standards, the second half he did a set based around numbers from Porgy and Bess with a suitable amount of scat singing. It was a wonderful concert, we enjoyed it tremendously.

Mary had bought front row seats, literally, I was in seat A22. It is amazing to be that close to the musicians, you could see every expression and the sound quality was superb. Though not close enough for some worshippers who went to right up to the stage and were gently asked by security to move away.

Another joy of the O2 is how easy it is to get home. half a dozen stops on the Jubilee line to Waterloo, then 13 minutes to Wandsworth Town.

* Wikipedia on Al Jarreau

Jazz on a Sunday Night

down at the Park Tavern. Brother-in-law Pete plays double bass and does occasional pub gigs. Last Sunday he was playing at the Park Tavern.

Since it is only 10 minutes walk from home I hardly had any excuse for not popping along. So I left Mary relaxing after a Sunday evening roast and toddled over for a very pleasant hour and a half listening to dinner jazz and drinking a couple of pints of Young's.

The pub has a very comfortable atmosphere almost like being in your own livng room: comfy chairs. roomy, well lit, friendly bar staff and a clientele that looked agreeable.

I got talking a a group of blokes who were obviously a) old mates and b) into the music. Turns out one of them has a trulli down on the coast at Castellana Grotte: http://www.trullicasolare.com/. Small world, eh?

Sibling Dining in Soho

Saturday it was another siblings and partners dinner*. It was Jane&Pete's turn and Jane wanted to hold it in Soho so we could all see the finished flat (those of us who had not already). The flat is too small and not equipped for supper for six so we met at the flat, inspected and then went off to Le Deuxieme for a very enjoyable meal.

I was down in Farnham last Wednesday doing some family tree stuff with Mum when Dad remarked how much it pleased him that we siblings not only got on well but also enough to want to get together socially. And it's true we do.

* Previously: Sibling Dining, Akira's Cousin, Family Dining, I'm Up on the Eleventh Floor, Family Dining 2, Siblings in Puglia.

The Chateau Climens Dinner

Another BBR extravagant wine dinner. Hosted by Oliver East, Bordeaux Buyer, Guest Speaker Bérénice Lurton, Owner.

Before we arrived we were thinking, like others, "Are they really going to serve a dessert wine with every course?" The answer was "Yes" and "Don't call it a dessert wine", says Bérénice, "it is a sweet wine".

Berrys' UKC Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru, Le Mesnil

 

2004 Cypres de Ch. Climens, Barsac

Lobster bisque - with lobster beignets & chervil oil

2004 Ch. Climens, 1 er Grand Cm Classe, Barsac

Ballotine of foie gras with Sauternes caviar jelly & crisp bread

2000 Ch. Climens, 1 er Grand Cm Classe, Barsac
1996 Ch. Climens, 1 er Grand Cm Classe, Barsac

Gallotine of quail in pistachio & truffle mousse & sauce Marsala

1990 Ch. Climens, 1 er Grand Cm Classe, Barsac

Roquefort

1977 Ch. Climens, 1 er Grand Cm Classe, Barsac

Vanilla mille feuille with caramelised pear

Berrvs' selected coffee and chocolates

 

The 2004 Cypres, their second wine, was warm, light and fruity with a hint of mushroom on the nose. An interesting contrast to the Climens '04 which was darker and heavier and sharper showing the acid that would help it age.

The 2000 was fresh and light and very enjoyable. Not so the '96 which was distinctly musty on the nose with hint of white spirit and not as sharp as the '00. Others thought so too and they changed the bottle and brought us fresh glasses. The '90 was excellent with a "brisk" flavour and a lovely golden colour.

The '77 again had a hint of mustiness, not so much "noble rot" as plain rot, a disappointing final wine. I don't think this dinner showed the Chateau to best advantage.

Some years back we bought a half case of the 1990 and are down to our last bottle with nary a duff bottle so this will not put us off the chateau - just be more careful in our choice of vintage.

Italian Themed Dinner Party

Our thanks to Mino and Zia at the Truddhi cookery school for teaching us what we needed to give a most successful dinner party on Saturday. The plan had always been to host a evening based on what we learned there. So on Saturday we persuaded usual suspects Bob&Lynn and John&Andrea to be our guinea pigs - not that they took too much persuading :-)

Antipasta mista con focaccia

We bought a variety of meats in the local market* sliced using our deli-style meat slicer bought following an earlier trip. The focaccia worked much better than an earlier trial bake though whether it was the yeast, the time to rise or the ambient temprature we are still working on.

Orecchiette con cime de rape

Home made from flour and water, every ear individually hand rolled; time consuming or what! The recipe was pretty much the one Mino demonstrated on Rick Stein's programme and was a great success.

Coniglio ripieno al forno

We bought the rabbit from Randalls Butchers in Wandsworth Bridge Road and Mary very patiently filleted it. She stuffed it with a mixture of fried giblets, breadcrumbs and egg** then tied it with string into two neat parcels. Baked with potatoes and lashing of olive oil.

Torta limone con lamponi

I was pastry chef and made a tart filled with lemon flavoured Confectioner's custard (creme patissiere) set wih gelatine and decorated with rasberries.

And of course plenty of wine. Even though I say it myself the evening went very well. Mind you with the right company that is pretty much guaranteed. A bonus was that most of the preparation was done in advance; the absence of last minute cooking meant we too could relax and enjoy.

* Origin within the EU for personal consumption so legal! [1] [2] [3]
** [11-Nov-07] Mary has asked me to add that the stuffing also included parmigiano, pecorino, parsley and garlic.

Street Life (2 BE or NOT 2B)

That is the question. Shall we take the Bentley or the Aston Martin?



Sunday we went for a walk, the six of us plus two children, to walk off Saturday's DP (more on that later). Our route took us along the Thames path as far as Putney bridge then back along the north side to Battersea bridge. On the way we passed this pair of cars parked outside a "des res" in Chelsea.

One may envy his wealth but you have to grant that the man has a sense of humour.

Fourteenth Wedding Anniversary

If you are looking for an Italian restaurant in Wandsworth I can thoroughly recommend Ti Amo.

It had previously been an Italian restaurant called Al Ponte which had been good. We used it as the venue for Mary's 50th birthday celebration. Then it closed down for a while and has recently re-opened under new management as Ti Amo.

This week we had our fourteenth wedding anniversary and thought we would give it a try; see how the new owners were doing. I would say it was even better than before. The pastas were all fresh and mostly made on the premises as were the desserts. For me it is one of the tests of a good restaurant; I like to ask, "which do you make and which do you buy in".

We enjoyed it, rated it highly and will certainly be going back. Mary's review on www.toptable.co.uk:

"Oct 30th 2007 MG - gastronaut Overall rating: 8

Food 9 | Service 9 | Ambience 7 | Value 8 | Toilets 8 | Recommended 9

There has been a restaurant in this location for some time but Ti Amo is the best yet by far. Good choice of interesting dishes on the menu, representing a variety of well-known and more unusual italian dishes. Everything was very well-presented with excellent quality and flavours. Service was friendly and attentive. Wine list is shortish but with interesting choices and a good selection of wines by the glass. Location, looking out onto the river, is great."

We marked it down a little on ambience but that was only because it was a quiet Tuesday night with only one other table occupied. A busy weekend night might well have more buzz.

Ti Amo, 3 Dolphin house, Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, London, SW18 1EG

Closing Down Trullo Azzuro for the Winter

This weekend just gone we spent a long weekend in Italy closing down Trullo Azzurro for the winter; out Friday, back Monday. Mostly putting all the bedding in VacuSacs and bringing the garden furniture indoors, emptying the fridge and a bit of a sweep out.

We were expecting to help our neighbours Carole and Mino over at Truddhi with their olive harvest but that has been postponed for a couple of weeks. Not that we are complaining because that gave us an extra day to do stuff.

We switched off the outside lights and the heating, locked up and that is it until the spring. The local agency who do our "changeover" will look in once a month to check things over and we may even pop over some time in the New Year.

Barbera Wine Dinner at Enoteca Turi

Another fine wining and dining experience at Enoteca Turi* this time wines from Piedmont made with the Barbera grape. Interesting to revisit this region so soon after the BBR Tuscany vs Piedmont dinner. Same region, different grape, different price range.

One interesting thing I am (finally) starting to get is distinguishing between my personal preference and which I think is the better wine. In this case I liked the Barbera d'Alba Marun DOC 2003 best for drinking - lots of jammy fruit flavours - but the Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOC 2001 was - in my view - the better wine with aging potential.

Assaggi Piemontesi
(Traditional Piedmontese antipasti)

Arneis Roero DOC 2006 Brovia

Anatra in verza con fonduta
(Duck cooked in cabbage leaves with fonduta)

Barbera d'Alba DOC 2005 Giuseppe Rinaldi

Agnolotti del plin
(Piedmontese veal and spinach ravioli with butter and sage)

Barbera d'Alba Marun DOC 2003 Matteo Correggia

Filetto di cervo con porcini e polenta
(Fillet of venison, porcini mushrooms and fried polenta, juniper berry sauce)

Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia DOC 2002 Giacomo Conterno
Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOC 2001 La Spinetta

Formaggi regionali
(Selection of the region's cheeses)

Pin Monferrato Rosso DOC 2003 La Spinetta

Torta Gianduia
(Typical Piedmont hazelnut and chocolate tart)

Barbera Passum DOC 2003 Cascina Castlet
Coffee

The Barbera Passum DOC 2003 was a little disappointing but it *was* up against a seriously chocolatey dessert. Something with more "passito" character might have held its ground better.

* Previously at Enoteca Turi: "Food and Wine from the Sicily Region"

McLellan Family Tree

If you are lucky enough to have Scottish ancestry then tracing back your family tree to the early 1800's is something of a doddle. Go to http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ and you can search the registers of births, marriages and deaths plus a load of parish registers some going back to 1553.

Mary is absolutely hooked and been doing wonderful stuff researching her family, both sides and my Dad's family. She has traced back my paternal line to my great-great-great-grandfather who married in 1817.

Going back earlier than that the chain of evidence starts to get a bit shakey but I am sure there will be more to follow...



Descendants of Archibald McLelan

Generation No. 1

1. ARCHIBALD [1] MCLELAN He married MARRION MCDOUGALL 03 Mar 1817 in Bowmore. She died 24 Aug 1857 in Victoria Street, Govan.

Child of ARCHIBALD MCLELAN and MARRION MCDOUGALL is:
2. i. DOUGALD [2] MCLELLAN, b. 07 Dec 1818, Inchinan, Renfrewshire; d. 12 Jan 1875, Coatbridge.

Generation No. 2

2. DOUGALD [2] MCLELLAN (ARCHIBALD [1] MCLELAN) was born 07 Dec 1818 in Inchinan, Renfrewshire, and died 12 Jan 1875 in Coatbridge. He married ISABELLA MCLEAN 22 Apr 1845 in Barony (Maryhill), Glasgow. She was born in Tyree, Argyll.

More About DOUGALD MCLELLAN:
Occupation: 07 Apr 1861, Iron Works Magazine Keeper

Children of DOUGALD MCLELLAN and ISABELLA MCLEAN are:

3. i. CHARLES [3] MCLELLAN, b. 09 May 1852, Gartsherry, Coatbridge; d. 17 Oct 1930, Tollcross Road, Glasgow.
   ii. ARCHIBALD MCLELLAN, b. 10 Jul 1845, Gartsherry, Coatbridge.
   iii. NEIL MCLELLAN, b. 11 Jun 1848.
   iv. DONALD MCLELLAN, b. 09 Jun 1850.
   v. JAMES STEWART MCLELLAN, b. 16 Jul 1854.
   vi. MARRION MCLELLAN, b. 19 Jul 1856.
   vii. JOHN MCLELLAN, b. 07 May 1860, Gartsherry, Coatbridge.

Generation No. 3

3. CHARLES [3] MCLELLAN (DOUGALD [2], ARCHIBALD [1] MCLELAN) was born 09 May 1852 in Gartsherry, Coatbridge, and died 17 Oct 1930 in Tollcross Road, Glasgow. He married MARGARET JONES KENNEDY 06 Dec 1875 in Old Monkland, Lanark. She was born 06 Jan 1855 in Sunnyside, Coatbridge, and died 22 Sep 1930 in Tollcross Road, Glasgow.

Children of CHARLES MCLELLAN and MARGARET KENNEDY are:
4. i. JAMES KENNEDY [4] MCLELLAN, b. 26 Dec 1877, Coatbridge; d. 1933.
   ii. DOUGALD MCLELLAN, b. 22 May 1876, Coatbridge.
   iii. ARCHIBALD MCLELLAN, b. 03 Aug 1879, Coatbridge.
   iv. ELLEN MCMILLAN MCLELLAN, b. 16 Jan 1882, Coatbridge.
   v. ISABELLA MCLELLAN, b. 05 Jun 1890, Coatbridge.

Generation No. 4

4. JAMES KENNEDY [4] MCLELLAN (CHARLES [3], DOUGALD [2], ARCHIBALD [1] MCLELAN) was born 26 Dec 1877 in Coatbridge, and died 1933. He married AMELIA LONG. She was born 1885, and died 1960.

Child of JAMES MCLELLAN and AMELIA LONG is:
i. JAMES MICHAEL5 MCLELLAN, b. 10 Mar 1925; m. MARGERY FAITH SCALES; b. 27 Apr 1927.

For the PDF originals:
mclellan-family-tree.pdf
mclellan-geneology-report.pdf

Wines of Paul Cluver at Planet of the Grapes

Another interesting tasting at Planet of the Grapes. This time South African wines from Paul Cluver presented by their wine maker, Andries Berger. Always fascinating to hear direct from the winemaker rather than someone in the trade.

Andries is a man committed to his wines and aiming for an old world subtlety and complexity. The audience seemed to shared his belief that he has succeeded. To my palette the Chardonnay had a particularly Burgundian feel to it. He even managed to make an enjoyable wine out Sauvingnon Blanc, of one of my least favourite varietals.

 • Sauvignon Blanc 2006
 • Weisser Riesling 2007
 • Gewurtztraminer 2005
 • Chardonnay 2006
 • Pinot Noir 2004
 • The Elgin Blend 2003
 • Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
 • Weisser Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2006

There is always something new to learn about winemaking and this time it was Andries talking about "batonage" - hand stirring of the lees while the wine is aging. This apparently adds complexity to the wines and scavenges oxygen, reducing the risk of unwanted oxidation.

We were impressed by the wines and have ordered 6 of the Chardonnay and 6 of the Cabernet Sauvignon - which will certainly reward a few years cellaring.

Friday, September 28, 2007: Cookery School Day 6

Day 6 started with a trip to the market in Locorotondo.


We then met a local butcher who is Mino's business partner followed by an introduction to some neighbours back at Truddhi. They are vinifying Mino's grapes; a considerably less high-tech operation than the Cantina or Rivera!



Then it was another afternoon of lessons in preparation for the final evening's meal:



As it was the last day of the course, at the end of the meal we were presented with our certificates.



A fuller set of Day 6 photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157602269035549/

Thursday, September 27, 2007: Cookery School Day 5

Day 5 started with a trip to the winery Rivera one of the best producers in Puglia and one of Mary's favourites. The winemaker there confirmed that is was a superb vintage; the grapes were indeed looking very healthy.



The tour was followed by a tasting and a trip to Casteldelmonte a world heritage site. After that there was no class so we had the rest of the day off.

We went to Otranto to look at the cathedral and then supper at our usual haunt - Centro Storico in Locorotondo.



A fuller set of Day 5 photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157602268888317/

Wednesday, September 26, 2007: Cookery School Day 4

Day 4 started with a trip to a local pasta factory then back to Truddhi to make the real thing.



Filled pasta was not on the original syllabus as it is not typical of southern Italian cuisine but Mino kindly went off course to enable us have a go.


Mary, Mark, Zia and Mino

We also learnt how to open mussels for a stuffed mussel dish.



A fuller set of Day 4 photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157602268602759/

Tuesday, September 25, 2007: Cookery School Day 3

Day 3 started with two field trips:

First stop the Cantina Del Locorotondo cooperative where the hot August meant the small farmers were already bringing in their grapes. The manager showing us round reckoned that the quality of grapes was the best he had seen in 23 years working there. An early frost kept the number of bunches down, the lack of rain kept the diseases away and the sunshine pushed the ripeness way up. So a brilliant vintage is in the offing.


[Hover for title, click for larger version]

Second stop Il Frantolio, another cooperative this time of olive growers (often the same small farmers). We learned that you should only ever use extra virgin olive oil. Anything else is oil chemically extracted from the kernels and only of use in things like tinned fish. Do not buy anything other than Extra Virgin!



The afternoon and evening were back to Truddhi to cook and eat amongst other dishes: roast peppers with capers and olives, stuffed aubergines and ricotta tart.


Mary at work!



A fuller set of Day 3 photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157602241902733/

BBR Dinner: The Great Wines of Italy, Tuscany vs Piedmont

More eating and drinking...

Lots of top notch wines. I wish I could remember more of the fascinating info from the chat by Chris Pollington, the man knows his stuff.

All I can remember is the Tuscans use the Sangiovese grape and eat beans, the Piedmontese use Nebbiolo and eat rice. The staff would keep topping up my glass and I did not say no often enough. I was struggling to keep my eyes open by the end. Oh dear :-(

Aperitivo

2006 Gavi di Gavi, Cru La Maddelena, Roberto Sarotto, Piedmont

Bresaola con Rucola e Parmigiano
(Shaved bresaola with wild rocket & parmesan)

2005 Chianti Classico, 'Rubiolo', Gagliole, Castellina-in-Chianti, Tuscany

Un' selezione di funghi di bosco
(A tasting of Italian mushrooms & funghi)

2001 Barbaresco, Cru Vigna Erte, Cigliuti, Neive, Piedmont

Abbachio a la Romana con polenta e pomodorini secchi
(Roast lamb with rosemary, polenta & cotifit tomatoes)

1994 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Ugolaia, Lisini, Tuscany
2000 Barolo, Cru Monprivato, Giuseppe Mascarello, Castiglione Falletto, Piedmont

Formaggio
(cheese) Pecorino

2004 IGT Colli della Toscana Centrale, Pecchia, Gagliole, Castellina-in-Chianti, Tuscany

Torta di mele con gelato di Mascarpone
(Apple tarte fine with Mascarpone ice cream)

2005 Moscato d'Asti, Bass Tuba, Bava, Piedmont

Berrys' selected coffee & chocolate

Monday, September 24, 2007: Cookery School Day 2

Mino returns and Day 2 sets the pattern for the rest of the week: a excursion in the morning, lunch, class from 4 till 7:30, dinner at 8 for whoever was about. Usually us two, Carole and Mino, their friend Mair from Wales, Zia, and a couple of paying guests from the Truddhi holiday apartments where the lessons are held.


Truddhi Cookery School

We visited a diary where they made mozzerella, all by hand from local milk. What amazed me was that all the mozzarella, even the little ones are all knotted by hand - you couldn't make it up!


[Hover for title, click for larger version]

Then we made fava bean and chicory, orecchietti, stuffed rabbit and Mino's version of bread and butter pudding. This day we mostly watched and helped a little. As the week progressed we got more and more hands-on which was better. Partly at our insistence and partly (I am guessing) that Mino realised we were able cooks.

A fuller set of Day 2 photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157602209424622/