Table of contents for November 2023 in The Simple Things

SAINT MARTIN'S* FRUIT AND NUT CAKE Serves 8 120g dried figs, thinly sliced 60ml dark rum or vermouth 150g soft, pitted dates, chopped 80g broken walnuts, plus 1 handful for garnish 100g almonds, roasted and chopped, plus 1 handful for garnish 100g hazelnuts, roasted and chopped, plus 1 handful for garnish 170g grated apple (no peel) 80g raisins, plus 1 handful for garnish 1 medium lemon, zested 200g plain flour 150g butter, softened 120g white sugar 4 large eggs 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice ½ tsp ground cloves 4 tbsp honey 1 Soak the figs in the rum or vermouth for 1 hr. Heat the dates and 100ml water in a saucepan. Once simmering, remove from the heat and mash to a paste. Allow to cool. 2 Add the chopped nuts, apple, raisins, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the…

Red squirrels Once a common sight all over the British countryside, the red squirrel – immortalised by Beatrix Potter and beloved by so many – is under serious threat. “One reason is loss of habitat,” explains Sarah Woodfin, who works for rewilding charity Trees for Life, on protecting and restoring the red squirrel population in northern Scotland. “After the Second World War we lost a lot of broadleaf woodland in the UK and squirrels weren’t able to move from one habitat to another. But the main reason red squirrels are endangered is the grey squirrel,” says Sarah. Imported from North America at the end of the Victorian era, grey squirrels are larger, breed more prolifically and can eat food before it ripens – placing them at an advantage over their…

It fell off the back of a camel Ras el Hanout’s story goes back centuries to Morocco’s ancient city of Sijilmasa. It’s said that when an argument broke out between two spice traders, it spooked their camels and caused the spice sacks to fall off and split open. Salvaging what they could, the merchants labelled it ‘ras el hanout’ – roughly ‘top of the shop’ – suggesting that the masterful blend showcases the best spices a merchant has to offer. An enigmatic blend Gentle and fragrant, garam masala has no singular use and no standard recipe. Blends sold in British supermarkets frequently have a coriander-cumin base and in British-Indian recipes, it’s often added at the point at which onion and garlic are cooked-off. In India, it might contain just ground…

IN A WORLD THAT CAN FEEL INCREASINGLY UNIFORM, WE’RE CELEBRATING THOSE HAPPILY DOING THINGS a bit differently. Meet the PEOPLE WHO ARE seriously PASSIONATE about their pastimes. PERHAPS THEY’LL PERSUADE YOU TO TRY something NEW? Georgina Ratcliffe is a land girl, an unsung hero of the Second World War, tilling fields from dawn ’til dusk to produce victory-enabling victuals on the home front. She’s also a high-status lady of the late 19th century, parading the contents of her wardrobe to anyone in eyeshot. And, for good measure, Georgina is a Tudor-era butter maker. It all depends which day you catch her on. Lindsey Ratcliffe, Georgina’s mother, lives a similarly disparate life. Together, they are a big noise – and sight, taste, and smell – in the living history world, recreating…

GARDENS Much of our mailbag at Knepp (a trailblazing 3,500-acre rewilding project in West Sussex) is from gardeners. Inspired by a visit, they want to know if it’s possible to apply the principles of rewilding, so often associated with large herbivores and the wider landscape, to a much smaller space – their own garden. We think it is. Gardens can play a crucial role in restoring biodiversity and bringing dynamic nature back into our lives. As far as natural processes are concerned, gardens tend to be isolated from the wider landscape. These little pockets of land may be affected by rabbits and, occasionally, deer. But many are not disturbed by herbivorous mammals at all. Humans are the drivers of the ecosystem. But as a rewilding gardener, you can mimic many…

A PLACE TO STAY When planning a hard-earned break, it helps to ask yourself what you want to get out of it. I wanted to rest properly, sleep deeply, and be close to nature. I didn’t want to make any decisions or answer any questions. I wanted a break from the demands of the world. And that’s how I ended up driving over the Severn Bridge, listening to my favourite playlist, destined for The Dreaming, a new wellness retreat in mid-Wales. As I journeyed through the beautiful green hills and the roads became narrower and emptier, I grew excited and a bit nervous. What will the group be like? Will my family manage without me? And can I really cope without my phone for three days? There’s only one way…

DEAD MAN'S FINGERS If you go down to the woods today, you might encounter a weird and wonderful species Corpse-like, blackened, wrinkled, knobby fingers push up from the ground… Meet dead man’s fingers, seen in parts of North America and all over the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as Europe. Depending on when you spot this gruesome, inedible specimen, you may see variations in its appearance. When young, the ‘fingers’ are a pale bluish-grey with whitish tips, blackening as they age. Dead man’s fingers help break down decaying wood and, in the process, enrich that soil with nutrients that nourish the many invertebrates that dwell there. It’s usually found in three- to six-finger clumps at the base of dead beechwood. Though not impressive in size (typically 3-7.5cm in height),…

A few simple steps to not losing the plot External memory: If you struggle to recall the plots of books, films or TV shows, don’t panic. One theory is that humans always farm off some information when not immediately needed for your ‘working memory’. Knowing that Google will have the answer, we free up our working memory for other stuff (like the to-do list). It doesn’t mean we didn’t value it in the moment. But there are some things you can do to help. Stop bingeing: The ‘forgetting curve’ shows how memories quickly drop off after a day, unless we reinforce them. So it follows that those who bingewatch a TV show in a day forget it much sooner than someone who watches just an episode a week. Find focus:…

GATHERING The nights are drawing in, so make the most of the calm and quiet afforded by the end of autumn by setting aside an afternoon for friends, food and crafting. Welcome your pals with nibbles and a fancy cranberry cocktail before getting creative. As we enter the cosiest of seasons, these dried orange decorations are simple to make and will add an extra little twinkle or bit of colour – no crafting experience necessary. Pause for a warming soup and a spicy flatbread, before hand-painting candles to light on dark evenings – any craft that allows you to chat at the same time is always a winner. Finally, celebrate a job well done with a big slice of stollen and fill friends’ cups with a hot drink that’ll help…

FAVOURITE MARKET Home of the Arts (HOTA) Sunday market An entertainment venue, an art gallery with a rooftop bar and views of the skyline, and host to a popular Sunday farmers’market. It’s a great place to meet friends, get breakfast, sit by the lake and enjoy the live music. hota.com.au FAVOURITE SHOP Heartfill A gorgeous homeware and gift store. They also hold creative workshops. heartfill.com.au FAVOURITE BAKERY The Paddock Bakery Set in an old Queenslander-style home, this bakery serves delicious pastries and doughnuts. You can even watch the bakers at work. paddockbakery.com FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD CAFÉ Rafiki A local favourite in Mermaid Beach. Grab their signature acai bowl to take away and sit in the dunes while watching the surf. facebook.com/rafikibythesea FAVOURITE BAR Granddad Jack's A rustic distillery in a repurposed…

Growing up, I was as happy eating eggs and waffles as I was in my ultimate Punjabi eating mode. We looked forward to English Sunday roasts as much as we did dhals and rotis; we enjoyed lasagnes, burgers, traybakes and cakes. My parents had successfully settled in the UK and had managed to bridge our cultures, and my eating reflected that – it was varied, diverse and exciting. We were raised to try everything. Fussy eating was a luxury we were not afforded. As a Punjabi girl from Wolverhampton, who became a chef in London, mine is a story of immigration, acclimatisation, adjustment, flourishing and celebration. It’s about creating new traditions, as well as honouring old. I hope my food is playful, inclusive and fun. Many of my Punjabi peers…

COLOURFUL RUG Inspired by the modernist painter Mondrian, this uses cotton cord to make it solid yet soft underfoot. You will need: Peg loom (at least 50cm wide) with 25 × 9mm pegs String (approx 4m) 3 × Return of the Mac 3mm cord in Ecru (approx 600g) – all cords are available from hobbycraft.co.uk 1 × Return of the Mac 3mm cord in Terracotta (approx 120g) 1 × Return of the Mac 3mm cord in Sage (approx 100g) 1 × Return of the Mac 3mm cord in Mustard (approx 100g) Weaving or tapestry needle (or crochet/latch hook if you’re using thicker rope) Scissors 1 Begin by placing 25 × 9mm pegs in the slots of the peg loom. Thread each peg hole with a 10–15cm piece of string and tie in a knot to create your…

Today, we reach for the spice rack with nonchalance, picking up jars of spices in supermarkets for the same price as a pint of milk. What seems mundane to us would be mind-boggling to our ancestors. Just as they perceived spices as treasured commodities, they remain worthy of our appreciation, exploration and wonder. Spices interweave history. The appetite for aromatic roots, seeds and bark carved out ‘The Spice Route’ – first linking East to West, and responsible not just for the exchange of goods but the movement of people, ideas and the evolution of cuisines. As early as 2000 BCE, Chinese spices reached the Middle East via caravan relays wending across 5,000 miles. Thanks to this, Sri Lankan cinnamon was used in Ancient Greece and Southern Indian peppercorns were popular…

Bookshop browse JOURNALLING JOURNEYS The Notebook: A History Of Thinking On Paper by Roland Allen ➛ There’s nothing better than opening a new notebook to the first crisp page and beginning to write, as author and publisher Roland Allen will testify. Obsessed by stationery and on a quest to find out the origins, he heads off on a historical tour in search of the notebook’s beginnings. It’s a story that explores culture, science, innovation and discovery, and takes in famous and infamous diaries, artists’ sketchbooks, songwriters’ inspirational scribbles, recipe books, old and new, and self-expressive journaling on the way. It’s a meticulously researched celebration of notebooks, and the vital role that they’ve played in creativity of all kinds. (Profile) Shopkeeper of the month Find your flock A haven of creativity…

DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL The work of the 'grandfather of wildlife art', Robert Gillmor, gets pride of place on this cotton, hand-sewn number. It's owl you need to cheer up the drying-up. £12.99, welovecushions.co.uk BRICK IN THE WALL How many five-letter words can you find reading down the face of our wall? The letters of each word can only read downwards on touching bricks, taking one only from each line (answers on page 124) “The true art of memory is the art of attention” Samuel Johnson Named after a real person – the 10th-century Danish king Harald, known as ‘Blåtand’ – Bluetooth – because of his dodgy dentals. He united different Scandi tribes, just as Bluetooth unites different bits of tech, and the logo combines the runes of his initials:…

CUT OUT AND KEEP Sausages with green lentils and salsa verde Serves 4 300g green lentils (we got ours from hodmedods.co.uk) Olive oil 250g bacon lardons 1 onion, finely diced 2 celery sticks, finely diced 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced 2 bay leaves 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 6 pork sausages A splash of cider vinegar FOR THE SALSA VERDE: 1 small bunch of basil, finely chopped 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped 1 tbsp cider vinegar 4 tbsp olive oil 3-4 anchovy fillets 1 Rinse the lentils in cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins. 2 To make the salsa verde, place the herbs, garlic and capers in a blender. Add the vinegar, olive oil and anchovies, along with a…

IDEAS Seasonal melancholy is nothing new. Our earliest surviving piece of English secular music, Mirie It Is While Sumer Ilast, bemoans the passing of summer with its singing birds and the arrival of winter’s harsh winds and weather. The simple pleasure of noticing our natural surroundings is diminished, as the bare earth and trees offer little, and animals go to ground. It’s no wonder then, that people start looking forward to Christmas so early, with its promise of light and festivities amid the gloom and cold and darkness that comes earlier each day. For me, this has never felt like the answer, but I struggled for a long time to find ways of dealing with my deep aversion to getting out of bed in November. Obviously, I can’t simply hibernate…

“Sanddancer was written for my mother. Now having a child of my own, I often find myself thinking about all of the lovely but jarring ways I am turning into her,” says Jen Carter (J E Neary), whose poem beautifully describes a child’s love. “As parents, I think we forget about that naivety – the pure adoration our kids have for us. My mother couldn’t speak Spanish, but in my mind she could, because she was the most wonderful person I knew, so why not?” Things to ponder: How is a sense of warmth created? How does excitement build as the poem progresses? Jen Carter (J E Neary) is a writer, poet and parent living in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2022, she won the Metro competition by the Poetry Book…

TRADITIONS I am a complete sucker for a tradition. But once the embers have died down on Bonfire Night there’s a bit of a lull until the excitement of Advent. I’m not one of those people who put the tree up in November (although there is certainly no judgement towards those who do). For me, autumn should be allowed to be its gloriously fruitful and mellow self until Stir-up Sunday, which arrives on the last weekend of this month. Like many festive customs, Stir-up Sunday originates from both the church and the Victorian monarchy. The name is thought to come from a line in a prayer that is said on the last Sunday before Advent, and coincides with the day the Christmas pudding would be made before maturing for several…

Ayurvedic: an ancient and holistic Indian medical system, still practised to varying extents by 80% of the population in India and Nepal, based on the idea that illness is caused by an imbalance. In the belief system, everything is connected – and foods, particularly spices, can help readjust a person’s balance. Blackening: A Cajun technique, in which meat or fish is coated in butter, then coated in a spice blend (often paprika, cayenne, thyme) and cooked until it develops a charred and flavoursome crust. The Scoville Scale: This measures ‘chilli heat’, providing Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) measurements. Mexico’s Guajillo chillies are around 2,500-5,000 SHU while a Scotch Bonnet hovers around 100,000-350,000 SHU. Toasting: A way to reinvigorate old spices and heighten their flavour. Only done with whole spices (ground spices…

“The living room is my favourite place. I love the beautiful windows, the stucco and the high ceiling. The black and white rug and the white walls are a great frame for my bold, colourful furniture. This is my third rug in this area and the only one that survives a life with dogs because it’s washable. I’m a big fan of Memphis Milano design – vibrant colours combined with monochrome patterns – and this rug makes it a reality. It makes me and the dogs very happy, too!” Kerstin Diehl, Berlin, Germany @Kersylovescolor “This rug was love at first sight! The bold design was always going to be a winner for me and it makes me go ‘wow’ every time I walk in the room. My dream for this…

IRON CANDLE HOLDER Hand-forged from iron in lovely knobbly shapes. Best for: mixing and matching with brass, copper, and black finishes. From £15, lovefrankie.com BRANCH WOODEN CANDLE HOLDER Crafted by Skógr Studio from locally-sourced timber. Best for: making an arty statement in its own right. £45, earlofeast.com STAR GOLD CANDLE HOLDERS Heavens above! Made from textured, hammered metal. Best for: comes in a set of three for triple the twinkle. £19.50, oliverbonas.com *For our crafting afternoon gathering, see p6 QUICK-FIRE QUIZ 1 This month is the 70th anniversary of what organisation set up by Rev. Chad Varah? 2 Who is the only person to have won both an Oscar and the Booker Prize? 3 The first photograph of what was supposedly taken 90 years ago this month? 4 If you…

Running stitch Likely the stitch to get you up and running as a beginner. It’ll see you straight for tacking, hemming and gathering, as well as decoration. Cross stitch Around since medieval times but reinvigorated in the 21st century with subversive cross stitch: great for when you’re feeling, well, a little cross. Split stitch Popular in medieval times, it’s a bit like stem stitch but to split the difference: here your needle goes back through the centre of the thread. Chain stitch The Silk Road in action, from early silk thread examples in China, this loopy stitch became part of stitch tradition in Persia, Kashmir and more. French knot May be called French, but this decorative raised knot has been tying up loose ends in the UK since at least…

Will was fourteen when he cooked his first proper meal. He’d been watching cooking shows on TV, when things were dark, and hard, when he’d had to take some time off school, and there was something in the way the chefs’ hands moved, the slicing of the knife, thunk of metal on wood, things brushed into palms and then the pan that kept him afloat, somehow. Stopped him from going under. His grandmother noticed. Started leaving cookbooks open on the kitchen side, when he was sure she’d never referred to them before. Then she called him one evening to say she was stuck collecting Amber from school, and could he get dinner on; that everything he would need was in the cupboard. He read the recipe, twice. Dithered. And then…