Author Archives: Fiona

About Fiona

I am a writer, based in West London. My main interests are food, design and learning.

The Nutrition Puzzle

A nice article in this week’s (18 February) Economist about poverty and food: The Nutrition Puzzle. Lots of interesting stuff, such as of the 7 billion people in the world, 1 billion do not have enough calories, 1 billion have … Continue reading

Posted in Food, Thoughts | Leave a comment

Elizabeth David’s illustrators

I’d like to get some prints of the original illustrations and dust jackets that were done for Elizabeth David’s books. Is there any way of doing this, besides buying the books and butchering them? A first edition of A Book … Continue reading

Posted in Design, Food | Leave a comment

Kitchen chairs with rush seats

I’ve just bought six chairs with rush seats from eBay for my Halsey Street kitchen.  Or perhaps I have bought a blue motorbike.

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Salome and John the Baptist

I found a Sticklebrick head in the toy box at my mother’s house. The lack of any body parts put me in mind of John the Baptist. Then I had to make a Salome to hold up the platter. Have … Continue reading

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Halsey Street Kitchen in words

I’ve been re-reading Artemis Cooper’s biography of Elizabeth David, and there is a good description of the Halsey Street kitchen on page 147, and a black and white photo dating from the mid 1950s. To summarise: wooden parquet floor electric … Continue reading

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Microskills: left-right confusion

Thinking again about microskills … one thing dyslexics often have a problem with is left-right confusion, and I have this problem too. When I am driving, and someone tells me to turn left, it takes me a long time to … Continue reading

Posted in Learning, Thoughts | Leave a comment

I get to keep the mink

My mother’s birthday. I bought her a mink hat on Portobello Road yesterday which doesn’t suit her, so thrillingly I get to keep it. The person it looks best on is my sister, but sadly she doesn’t agree with fur. Such … Continue reading

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Bearing fruit

I have an idea for a new Tiny Mistakes video. To be made this weekend. I’m writing the script now. Now now.

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Palchinsky principles

I’m trying to think of a way forward with Tiny Mistakes. I’ve just read Tim Harford’s book, Adapt, in which he outlines three Palchinsky principles: develop new ideas and experiment (variation) make failure survivable get feedback and learn from your … Continue reading

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Baby poorly today

That’s about it really.

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