I’m so tired I can’t even be bothered to offer you a lengthy description for the week anymore!
“Non-essential” shops opened on Monday. Whether cardamom buns can be deemed non-essential is a different discussion, but I did get one on Monday. It was good!
![A cardamom bun from Fabrique](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2898.jpg?resize=525%2C525&ssl=1)
What also happened around Monday is that “The Fitzrovia Partnership” have been sticking arrows to the pavements in Fitzrovia. Somehow they think that pedestrians are vehicles and need regulating.
![Arrows in the pavement of Tottenham Court Road](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2912.jpg?resize=525%2C700&ssl=1)
Needless to say, I believe it is a really patronising initiative and I wish they spent their lobbying powers into opening the still closed and unusable more than a year after it was rebuilt cycle lane in Tottenham Court Road between Torrington Place and Howland Street.
Some highlights of what we cooked this week:
![Bulgur wheat, cabbage and smoked tofu warm salad](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2925.jpg?resize=525%2C525&ssl=1)
![Cheese omelette, cabbage and ma-po tofu](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2922.jpg?resize=525%2C525&ssl=1)
![Spanish style summer tuna salad: potatoes, tomato, tuna, carrot, red pepper, capers, olives](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2917.jpg?resize=525%2C525&ssl=1)
![Home made flat breads (with rye and wheat flours)](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2918.jpg?resize=525%2C351&ssl=1)
![Home made flat bread, and two home made hummus with cucumber, red pepper and carrot slices, with olives](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2920.jpg?resize=525%2C421&ssl=1)
Although we gave ourselves Friday night “off” and had take away from our local favourite Kazu:
![Take away sashimi and sushi from Kazu](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2929.jpg?resize=525%2C394&ssl=1)
I also adapted a recipe from Anna Jones, using it as “inspiration” and ignoring her proportions and preparation method, because I can’t bear the idea of two teaspoons of dijon mustard and also I couldn’t be bothered turning the oven on just to roast chickpeas. We enjoyed the result:
![Gem lettuce with fried chickpeas, sesame seeds, a soft boiled egg, and tahini sauce](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2968.jpg?resize=525%2C525&ssl=1)
![Pancakes with some strawberries](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2971.jpg?resize=525%2C525&ssl=1)
I finally made a sourdough loaf I was happy with! And it is one of my 2kg mega loaves, with rye starter and white wheat flour:
![A big sourdough bread loaf](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2989.jpg?resize=525%2C394&ssl=1)
![A big sourdough bread loaf, sliced in two](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2990.jpg?resize=525%2C394&ssl=1)
We got two big, beautiful and incredibly aromatic Sorrento lemons, so Devvers repeated the lemon and polenta cake from seven weeks ago:
![A lemon and polenta cake](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2991.jpg?resize=525%2C351&ssl=1)
![A slice of lemon and polenta cake with creme fraiche on the side](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2992.jpg?resize=525%2C302&ssl=1)
April’s cake was yummy, but these lemons were next level. This is a really, really good cake.
Let’s finish on a bit of a funny note: I was strolling around Bedford Square, wondering when will they finally open the new cycle lanes and etc in Gower Street, when I turned right and into the square proper. Then my eyes saw this “illustration” of how the restoration work in one of the houses might look like:
![A computer-generated render of construction work in Bedford Square depicting some awkward figures sitting around a meeting table... and a ghost](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_2981.jpg?resize=525%2C394&ssl=1)
I don’t know what felt more odd about it:
- the fact that the furniture’s modelling and lighting is quite high resolution but the figures look like Poser 3D models, circa 2002
- or that they used 3D models instead of the typical mismatched 2D people cut outs where each person has a slightly different light angle, zoom and JPG artifacts and the scales and perspectives are all a bit wonky, but which we’re sort of used to by now
- … or that there is A GHOST IN THE MEETING ROOM! 👻
![The ghost of Bedford Square](https://i0.wp.com/food.soledadpenades.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/bedford-square-ghost.jpg?resize=467%2C673&ssl=1)
Her head is translucent!!!!
By the way, I think the window panes and the brick wall next to the window are also messed up, now that I see the close-up 🤪