Trip Update: Housesitting in London

Isn't it funny how things come together all of a sudden? That's how the last week has been. I've been thinking about this trip since January but actual, important details like when I'm leaving and where I'll be going were up in the air until now. This was in large part due to my trying to get a housesitting gig for part of the trip which, I am now happy to report, was successful! I'll be house/dogsitting in Golders Green in London for three weeks starting August 3rd. Partly what caught my eye about this listing was the area. I never got around to exploring Hampstead Heath last time I was in London and the family I'll be helping out lives right near by. 

I kind of fell into housesitting after college when I did it for a family in nearby West Hartford for about six weeks. At the time it was nice to be out of my mom's house for a while, even if it was only a couple of miles away. I house/dog sat for them a couple more times and also did occasional catsitting for a neighbor before I moved to Boston. When I started reading about long-term traveling housesitting was mentioned as a great way to save money while traveling. I read a couple of blogs and bought this very informative e-book by Dalene and Peter Heck of Hecktic Travels who have been housesitting all over the world for years. After some more research I set up an account with TrustedHousesitters.com and after a few months of diligent emailing I got a gig.

 Aside from free accommodation, housesitting also promotes the kind of travel I'm interested in--slow--and allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture in a way staying in a hotel never can. I would never be able to afford to stay in London this long so I'm looking forward to spending some quality time in my little borough. The Peak district and Yorkshire are still on the agenda, but I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to stay in my favorite city for three weeks. And, of course, the chance to have a dog for a bit is a nice bonus :)

Last year I started reading Imagined London by the wonderful Anna Quindlen but I had to stop because it made me too...I dunno...sad. I wanted to be back in London but at that point it was impossible. But now, with this trip on the horizon, reading this has only made me more excited. It's always been hard for me to explain why I felt so drawn to this city more than any other place, long before I ever went there, but Quindlen nailed it when she wrote "If you have spent your days in an armchair with a book, your nights reading yourself to sleep, then London is the central character in so much of what you have read that it is as though it is your imaginary home, a place whose lineaments are as clear as those of your own living room..." For me, being in London is the closest I can get to living inside my imagination.I can't wait to go home.

Caraway Seed Cake From Jane Eyre

Poor Jane Eyre. Girl can’t get a break. First, her parents die of typhus. Then, her beloved uncle and guardian Mr. Reed dies, leaving her in the care of an aunt who despises her and encourages Jane’s abuse at the hands of her cousins. After a particularly distressing conflict with her cousin John, she is sent away to the Lowood School for girls, where she finds a new abuser in Mr. Brocklehurst, the school’s headmaster. Eventually, Jane befriends a fellow student, Helen Burns, and finds a supporter in her teacher, Miss Temple. 

In one of the first bright spots in the novel Miss Temple invites Helen and Jane for tea, and shows the young girls true kindness: 

“[...] she got up, unlocked a drawer, and taking from it a parcel wrapped in paper, disclosed presently to our eyes a good-sized seed-cake.

‘I meant to give each of you some of this to take with you,’ said she: ‘but as there is so little toast, you must have it now,’ and she proceeded to cut slices with a generous hand.

We feasted that evening as on nectar and ambrosia; and not the least delight of the entertainment was the smile of gratification with which our hostess regarded us, as we satisfied our famished appetites on the delicate fare she liberally supplied.”

I mean, at this point, this was probably the best afternoon of Jane’s life. Of course, (SPOILER ALERT) then Helen goes on to die of consumption in her arms. 

Seed cakes were quite popular in Britain well into the 19^th century and were usually flavored with caraway seeds—hence the name. You may know caraway seeds from their role in rye bread, but they actually work nicely in sweet breads too. According to Andrea Broomfield in her book Food and Cooking In Victorian England: A History, seed cakes originated in East Anglia in the 16^th Century where they were traditionally served during the harvest time. Caraway seeds were also thought to aid in digestion, so this cake was served after large meals. It became most popular during the Victorian age and was frequently served with tea. It was usually flavored with some kind of spirit, such as Madeira wine or brandy, was nicknamed a “keeping cake” because it didn’t spoil easily. 

I couldn’t find a recipe from the 1840s, so one from the infamous Mrs. Beeton will have to do. She was kind of like the Martha Stewart of her day. She came up with such revolutionary ideas as listing ingredients at the beginning of the recipe and telling readers how long they should cook something for:

A Very Good Seed-Cake: 1861 From Mrs. Beeton’s ‘Household Management’

 INGREDIENTS – 1 lb. of butter, 6 eggs, 3/4 lb. of sifted sugar, pounded mace and grated nutmeg to taste, 1 lb. of flour, 3/4 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 wineglassful of brandy.

Mode.—Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, mace, nutmeg, and caraway seeds, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, stir to them the brandy, and beat the cake again for 10 minutes. Put it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it from 1–1/2 to 2 hours. This cake would be equally nice made with currants, and omitting the caraway seeds.

Time.—1–1/2 to 2 hours.

I decided to find a recipe that didn't include 6 eggs because I like my cholesterol level. This one from GoodToKnow.co.uk seemed like a great balance between classic ingredients and modern methods:

Caraway Seed Loaf Cake

Recipe

• 175g (6oz) butter, softened
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 250g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 38g jar caraway seeds
• 2tbsp milk
• 1kg (2lb) loaf tin, buttered and lined with a strip of baking parchment

 Method

1. Tip all the ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth. Spoon mixture into the loaf tin and level the surface.
2. Bake the cake in the centre of the oven 160°C (320°F, gas mark 3) for 45 mins-1 hr, or until the cake feels just firm to the touch in the centre, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into cake.
3. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10-15 mins.
4. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

The amount of eggs gives this cake a rather spongey texture, much different from the sweetbreads I'm used to, but it all works to create a nice, fluffy cake . However, I can see why wine or brandy was used to help preserve this cake because it seems to get a bit mushy from all the butter after a few days.

Now invite this guy over to tea and you'll be all set:

Travel Inspiration #1: Brit Film & TV

I have spent an inordinate amount of my life watching British films and tv series, especially since Netflix was invented. Growing up I was mostly at the mercy of my local PBS station or A&E so I was thrilled to finally have unlimited access to shows other than Monty Python, As Time Goes By, Pride & Prejudice, and whoever was playing Ms. Marple. 

But, as much as I enjoy the intricate story lines and compelling characters, with each new viewing I became more and more drawn to the landscape and settings: the Peak District, Yorkshire, Lyme Park--pretty much anywhere in Wiltshire. (IMDB has been incredibly helpful in providing filming locations.) 

Though I studied abroad in London for a summer, my time spent outside the city was limited to a few day trips here and there. So when I started planning my trip I knew I wanted to visit these places. (This was further compounded by my desire to visit certain literary landmarks like Haworth, but more on that later) Basically, I want my summer to look like both versions of  Pride and Prejudice, this version of Wuthering Heights, and 1993's The Secret Garden:

Source: Uploaded by user via Taiwan on Pinterest

Source: travel-blog123.tumblr.com via Eloise on Pinterest

Source: uk-photos.co.uk via Emma on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via BrendaGay on Pinterest

Source: dpreview.com via Michele Sarra on Pinterest

Source: ohyeahuknationalparks.tumblr.com via Joan on Pinterest

Anything look familiar?

Dinner Is Served

Tonight's Menu: Haloumi (from Trader Joe's) over my own homegrown lettuce, garnished with homegrown mint, basil, and parsley! I served it with an easy lemon vinaigrette (lemon, evoo, s&p, chopped herbs)