It’s half past noon and I just got out of bed. When I continued with “A Spot Of Bother” after tucking myself in last night, I didn’t expect to read it to the end unti 0300! There were times when I had to stifle my laughs in case I woke up Nick.

Here’s “A Spot Of Bother” in a nutshell: George is going paranoid over a spot he found on himself and believing its cancerous. His daughter Katie is getting married a second time, but the rest of her family is not sure if Ray is right for her. George’s wife Jean is having an affair with his ex-colleague, and son Jamie has a bicker with boyfriend Tony because he’s not sure about them going to the wedding together.

I read “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time” last year at a book club meeting, and I must say I enjoyed myself heaps!

This one was no different, and I guess it’s the characters that called out to me this time. There was such a realness to them, that they’re characters we’ve known at different times of our lives. It’s strange, but my outlook on my own relationships in life have also changed over the course of the book. I was having one of those “I do all the bloody laundry, I’m getting tired looking out for the both of us, and well, all the “Me, me, me” stuff going on.

Then as it went on, it made me realise what we take for granted with those around us, and need to be put into perspective.

Mark Haddon having been a screenwriter does explain why the book is so vividly readable, and I can imagine his books being interpreted as films. There’s a sense that you know what’s going on, just with the subtle observations that are made throughout the story. I’m looking forward to the next novel!

I’ve been obsessing about the upcoming release of the new Barbra Streisand album: Live In Concert 2006. Yes, I know it was released in the US in early May, but the international release date has been pushed to 28 May! Apart from watching video clips of the concert online, devouring any little snippet that’s available, I’ll just to make do with the fact that the Australian release will be in a special digipak edition. I’m rather miffed that they’ve decided to release bonus tracks on various US editions, but I hope I’ll get to hear them in the near future. From the reviews that I’ve read, the mix has been of superior quality, the concerts having been recorded on 96- tracks (wow!), so you hear every single instrument in the orchestra. Judging by the preview tracks I’ve heard online, Barbra sounds great as always, and I must, she is one of the few singers who makes me all teary-eyed when I listen to her. It’s magic, it just hardly happens with anybody else. I’m all vehklempt! Anyway… looking forward to hearing the 2006 concert recording soon!

Judy Small is a singer/songwriter I had the opportunity to watch live at the Cobargo Folk Festival in late Fabruary 2007. She has become a favourite of mine since, and it’s astounding that she has a career that spans more than thiry years.

What I got from her performances at Cobargo was all that everyone has loved about her. She is funny, witty, deeply political, and yet, she doesn’t tell her stories in anger, but from a perspective where most of us come from: love. She takes us back to the fundamentals and asks, “why all the fighting?”

I absolutely love her, and although she has a full-time job away from singing now, I look forward to seeing her at a Melbourne gig in June 2007.

I must say I still get all vehklempt every time I watch Barbra Streisand’s 1994 Concert. It was her return to the stage after 27 years. There’s such an elegance to the entire production, and Barbra managed to overcome her stage fright, aceing every number with perfect timing.

I find it hard to believe that people can’t believe she gets stage fright. “She’s a performer, she’s SUPPOSED to be used to it”. Tell me how often you get nervous when you speak in front of people in public. I think we overestimate our celebrities sometimes.

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to the release of her new album, Live In Concert 2006. Barbra pledged $11 million from the concert tour to agencies addressing such urgencies as environmental preservation, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues, and nuclear disarmament. Perhaps she might surprise us with some dates in Australia after her European tour in the mid-year!

It’s been a week since I’ve been listening to American Doll Posse, Tori Amos’ latest album release. I must say I was quite determined to like this album, so I’ve been playing it quite a bit, taking note of each song that comes along.

I believe it is an album that has grown on me nonetheless, although I’ve had to approach it in different ways to get to it. For example, I couldn’t believe how long the album goes. The very first time I played it, I wondered when it was going to end. That was after the first dozen songs (there are 23 tracks). There were times when I had to replay the album from the middle, so that I can pay more attention to second half of the album (about where I usually get distracted on a big listen).

It’s been interesting getting to know the girls on the album, and trying to match the songs to each archetype. I did that at the beginning, but having been used to the melodies, I enjoy the album as it is now. I’ve also begun to fish out the lyrics, listening to what Tori has to say on this album.

I don’t think I’ve put that much effort into getting to know a new album, but I’ve giving Tori another chance. I always tell people that I usually only get an album when another one is released, and this one’s made me think of what a classic To Venus And Back has become, and for some reason, “Marys of the Sea” from The Beekeeper has been stuck in my head after listening to American Doll Posse all week.

It’s a departure from Tori’s old stuff, but her albums have always been different from her previous works, which can be refreshing yet in danger of banishment.

I must say I was expecting much more from the bonus DVD on this album. There are just 8 freaking minutes of video! No one’s even going to bother playing the bloody DVD for its bonus song, and the “Behind-The-Scenes” footage is worth just a single playback. It’s just the photo shoot of the posse, with absolutely no interviews or insights about the album. Get the bonus DVD edition if you’re a collector, or the normal edition if you’re on a budget.

k.d. lang’s Recipe for Chili Con Tofu

1 lb. tofu, drained and crumbled
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups cooked (or canned) kidney beans and 1 cup bean broth or water
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
pepper

In a bowl, combine tofu, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large suacepan, combine tomato sauce, kidney beans (and juices), and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat in skillet.
Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring 2-3 minutes or until tender. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and tofu mixture; cook, stirring 3 minutes or until tofu is lightly golden. Stir tofu mixture into simmering tomato sauce; cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

Note: I found this recipe when I read this biography again recently, and I thought, let’s cook it for our upcoming party! Just keep in mind that tomato sauce does not refer to ketchup as I thought, but works the same way when you hang around the stove to reduce the liquid. I also substituted garlic powder for Chat Masala, which contains garlic anyway. Have fun!

I think I’ve developed the biggest crush on Jake Shears tonight. I know, I know, where have I been? I was even there at the beginning when Scissor Sisters was featured in DNA Magazine, but I never quite got into their music. However, they’ve been seeping into my subconscience recently, and it doesn’t help that my manager’s a crazy fan. He’s lent me their latest DVD because he’s been raving about them so much! There’s something about how Jake Shears makes camp look so damn mother fucking sexy! Oooh! You can take me out any time, baby! They’re next on my list to see live…P.S. If you have the DVD and want to watch Jake Shears in the nude, check out the hidden Easter Egg.

The recipe for Aloo Gobi is a special feature on this DVD, and it’s what got me into cooking Indian dishes. Yum!

INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION:

1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
Large bunch of fresh coriander, seperated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
Small green chillis, chopped into small pieces
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
1 tin of whole, peeled tomatoes, grated
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Fresh garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Tumeric
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garam Malasa

MAKING THE CURRY SAUCE:

Heat half a cup of vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
Add the chopped onion and one tablespoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden and translucent.
Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of tumeric and two teaspoons of salt.
Add chopped chillis (according to taste).
Stir grated tomatoes into the onion mixture.
Add ginger, garlic and mix thoroughly.

FROM SAUCE TO ALOO GOBI:

Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn’t stick to the saucepan).
Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.
Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
Turn off the heat, cover and leave for as long as possible before serving.

It’s my birthday in three weeks, and how fitting that Tori Amos will be releasing a box set that week! Most of my friends would argue that I’ve got to have every Tori Amos song out there, but one can never get enough of Tori! This box set contains five CDs, with a chockful of b-sides, rarities, demos, etc. This is on the top of the list of things for Nick to get me (wink, wink!) because, well, I guess I have to be realistic: asking for a 20-DVD Sex And The City box set is really too much, isn’t it? Birthdays are fun! ;-)

If there was one television series I had to watch over and over again, Sex And The City would be it. I remember the times when I hosted Sex And The City marathon for friends, and having to watch them with several groups of friends. I never got sick of it! In fact, I relished remembering Samantha’s classic one-liners, and because the situations were so real, it was great to re-live them over and over… again! Now if I can just convince Nick to buy this complete set for my birthday…