The Boy and his Poison: The Black Rat

This is a deceptively simple yet incredible long-cocktail. However, it's actually my brother's recipe. Last weekend, for his wedding, he not only sourced the drink, he also selected special glassware and left specific instructions for the bar staff to make it... and all this effort just for the head table where I was sat as the best man. It was in part a thank-you for the purgatory of the lead-up to the day, but his main motivation was a concession to what he called my 'recreational cocktail snobbery'.

It turned out to be the saviour of my role, providing much needed fuel for my speech. The hit of rum with the tang of orange and sweet fizz of the cola makes for a fantastic summer drink. So, welcome to a sophisticatedly tasty twist on a rum and coke - the Black Rat.

You’ll Need

• 75ml Rum
• 100ml Orange Juice
• Dash of Cola
• Dash of White Rum
• Squeeze of lime (optional)
• Dash of Angostura Butters (optional)
• Crushed ice

Make it

1. Pour the rum and orange juice in a shaker with a squeeze of lime and stir.
2. Fill a small glass or preferably a drink jar with crushed ice (if you don’t have any crushed ice just batter some ice cubes in a resealable bag with a rolling pin).
3. Strain the orange and rum over the ice. 
4. Pour over a dash of cola, a dash of white rum and a drop of angostura bitters.
5. Garnish with a slice of lime and serve with a straw.

Friday Wishlist: Gorgeous things you'll want to buy RIGHT NOW

The perfect dress. £34.99 from Lindy Bop.

The perfect unicorn key. £7 from Let's Go Hme. (Cut to fit any Yale lock.)

The perfect lobster and crab cookie cutters. £4 each from RE-found.

The perfect leather skirt. £125 from & Other Stories.

The perfect stripy bowl. £12 from Rockett St George.

The perfect shoes. £125 from Kurt Geiger.

Sluttery Sales Spy: French Connection, Boden & Urban Outfitters

Everything here has my SALE OF APPROVAL.

THE DRESSES

Embroidered shirt dress, £52.50 (was £70), ASOS

GUYS, someone stole summertime while we weren't looking, and embroidered it on to a dress. I LOVE THIS. The stitching continues all the way around the back - there's no thread-scrimping here, oh no. And there are pockets and buttons and all the other things we go wild for on a dress. The model looks like she's wearing the sky, just at the moment a breeze has blown the heads off of every flower in Alan Titchmarsh's garden. Poor Alan. They'll come again next year, pet.

Summer Bark dress, £64 (was £80), French Connection

I like that this is called Summer Bark, and even though I suspect it's a reference to trees, I'm going to imagine a small dog - probably a terrier of some kind - who changes his bark depending on the season. I think his summer bark is light and joyous, reminiscent of laughter and the tinkle of the ice cream van.

Oh, yes. Back to the dress. Well, the dress looks - in the very best way - like someone has intermittently wiped their brush on it during a heavy day of painting the shed. You can almost smell the turpentine from here, feel the satisfaction of a job well done. The petals from Alan Titchmarsh's flowers float by. In the distance, a small dog barks his tinkly bark. 

That fucking dog gets everywhere.

THE SKIRTS

Floral organza skirt, £48.50 (was £65), ASOS

Matchy-matchy things - or co-ords, which I recently discovered isn't just a fancy way of saying cords - are not usually for me. But this floral organza skirt from ASOS looks so good with the matching top that at first I thought it was a dress, albeit a dress with an annoying gap in the middle. And I actually adore it. Sadly, crop tops aren't ever coming anywhere near me, but that skirt will be.

Nancy skirt, £20.70 (was £69), Boden

Boden's Nancy dress has already made an appearance in Sales Spy, long ago in the mists of March when it seemed impossible that we would ever have a chance to wear it. Now the Nancy skirt has shown up to summer's party, shouting "Look at me! I'm only £20.70!" and wearing hideous shoes. Who among us doesn't know at least one person who's notorious for doing that? She is, though, a very pretty gatecrasher. She can sit with us.

THE BAGS

Nali studded bag, £34 (was £56), ASOS

When Nali described this bag as a wine bag, I got excited. Turns out it's not a bag filled with wine, and it doesn't have a tap on it for top-ups (unlike these "classy, camouflaged booze bags" - um). No, it's just wine-coloured, but I suppose you can haul about a bottle of plonk in it if you so wish.

Bucket bag, £6 (was £12.99), H&M

I've decided that I urgently need a watermelon-print bucket bag to carry on all my summer trips. Not only does it provide me with endless opportunities to say, "I carried a watermelon", but I actually could carry a watermelon in it, and that would be so meta that my head might EXPLODE, like a watermelon, and then I'd surely become the subject of a Daily Mail article investigating the dangers of watermelons.

THE HOMEWARES

Armrest chair, £80 (was £150), Urban Outfitters

All my life, I've wanted a plastic moulded chair that matches Krist Novoselic's purple trousers of 1992. Now my dream has come true, and I find myself having to re-evaluate everything. What's left for me now? I've reached the pinnacle of purpleness. At least I can have a nice sit down while I rewrite my life goals.

Broadway arrow lamp, £79 (was £89; typically £330 on the high street), Made.com

WANT. You can use this Broadway arrow lamp on the table or the wall - I'd probably use it as a table lamp, and move it around to highlight all the best bits of my house. Or rather, to distract from the piles of magazines and that box of mince pies from last Christmas I just found on the bookcase (it was UNOPENED, everyone. No need to call environmental health just yet).

What have you been buying this week?

Let Her Eat Cake: Bellini Cheesecake

Picture the scene: it's summer during the late 1930s in Venice, and Hemingway has just slumped into Harry's Bar to demand a drink and look for somewhere to cool down. What's that? A bellini? Why of course...

Ripe peaches have got to be the taste of summer and this cheesecake is a little like a bellini in cake form: ok, it doesn't contain prosecco (you get to drink that alongside it) but it is light, refreshing, fragrant, fruity and not a little bit boozy. Fresh peaches to caramelise beautifully are an absolute must for this recipe. Try and get them from a greengrocers, rather than a supermarket chiller, they'll be so much better.

Summer Peach Cheesecake
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours +

You will need:
For the base:

• 200g digestive biscuits
• 80g butter
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 50g white chocolate, grated

For the topping:

• 100g mascarpone
• 400g cream cheese
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 3 tbsp crème de pêche (peach liqueur - use peach juice or bellini puree if you can't find any, but I got mine from Aldi!)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
• 1 fresh peach, peeled and diced

To decorate:

• 3 fresh peaches, sliced
• 2 tbsp crème de pêche
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• handful of almonds, chopped

Make it!
The base:

1. Grease a 23cm, spring form tin.
2. Place the biscuits in a zip-lock bag, seal and bash with something heavy until crushed. Tip into mixing bowl.
3. Melt the butter and stir into the crushed biscuits, until completely combined.
4. Stir in the almonds and finely grated white chocolate.
5. Spoon the mixture into the tin, pressing down firmly and to the edges into an even layer.
6. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.

The topping:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the mascarpone, cream cheese and icing sugar until well combined. Add more icing sugar to taste, if you like.
2. Stir in the crème de pêche, vanilla and diced peach until evenly distributed.
3. Spoon onto the chilled base, smoothing over the top.
4. Cover and place in the fridge for at least four hours to set, or overnight.
5. When ready to serve, carefully remove the ring part of the tin.
6. Place the fresh peaches on a clean baking tray or ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the crème de pêche, caster sugar and chopped almonds.
7. Place under a hot grill until the peach slices are beginning to caramelise and soften (be careful that the almonds aren't catching) or use a chef's blowtorch to caramelise the sugar. 
8. Transfer to a plate to cool before arranging on top of the cheesecake and sprinkling with a few more almonds. Serve with some very, very cold prosecco and bask in glorious summerness.

Etsy Pick: GoodMoodMoon

Today I discovered GoodMoodMoon on Etsy. They're designers of gorgeous eco leather bags and accessories. They're also massive animal lovers so 5% of their profits go to homeless animal charities. Let's take a look.

I am so crazy in love with this clutch bag. I don't think I've ever said that about a clutch bag before, but the clever grabby strap means that I won't lose it ten minutes after going out. Amazingly it's just £23.49. Those lovely colourful bracelets are just £1.93 each.

They're yummy.

This gorgeous yellow bag is meant to be for an iPad but I haven't got one of those so instead it's going to be for notebooks. It's £22.29. Seriously. Just take all of my money.

I could keep so many secrets in this tote bag. It's huge and a bargain at £33.13. The reviews are all so positive, particularly when it comes to the vegan leather. This isn't the plastic pleather stuff that you get on the high street, they're super soft. This is the real deal, just animal friendly.

It's not often I write about designers outside of the UK and GoodMoodMoon are actually based in the Ukraine so shipping might take a while, but the postage costs are just over a fiver on most bags and I can't keep that sort of awesome to myself. That clutch bag is going to be mine. Probably not going to stop at just one colour.

Design Porn: Scribbelicious Literary Jewellery

 

I'm on hols in Wales this week, so today's Design Porn comes to you courtesy of that beautiful country (dons implausibly Newport accent, says "cwtch" a lot, generally embarrases Welsh heritage).

Scribbelicious (north Wales, far from Newport) take damaged books, some a century old, and puts them to new purpose as beautiful jewellery. But if you, like me, are a bit "arrgh" about doing anything to books - even damaged ones - then you can breathe easily as Scribbelicious also carries an enormous supply of original designs. Shakespeare works predictably well, and as well as Scribbelicious's own website, the RSC and Globe shops both carry exclusive, lovely ranges.

These lovely wedding cufflinks are made to an original design, and like all Scribbelicious's jewellery, you can choose your own quote, weddingy or otherwise. They're £20.

Scribbelicious' bangles are lovely - the Guess How Much I Love You rabbits would make a sweet gift for any smalls you might now. This Lord of the Rings design is £18.

The pendants are fantastic; beautiful designs that make the most  of the lovely quotes they use housed in silver plated ovals. Hello Tyrion Lannister, you speak the truth.

Pick from Shakespeare, modern classics, 19th century and inspirational quotes, depending on what you require.

This Mary Poppins pendant is absolutely stunningly done,  if slightly foreboding. But then that's part of the deal with Mary. There are a lot of quotes from children's books here, from Anne of Green Gables to a number from Alice in Wonderland. I've just been reading The Children of Green Knowe for the first time in ages and have only just recovered from how beautiful and apt the writing is. Often, children's writers say it best.

And of course sometimes you just need a Ronseal quote, like this lovely silhouetted Love Books pendant.

This RIDICULOUSLY lovely Sherlock Holmes pendant, with accompanying Bottle of Mystery, comes from a fragment of a damaged book. It comes in a themed box and is, like all the pendants,  £18. NB: any jewellery that involves pieces of a damaged books will feature different pages,  but definitely those characters. Check with Scribbelicious if you want to make sure.

And where would we be without Pride and Prejudice? I LOVE YOU LIZZIE, YOU ARE BRILLIANT. And yes, there are Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre editions if your favourite couple doesn't involve Miss Eliza and Fitzwilliam "I put my upper lip in curlers" Darcy.

Oh blimey, I really did get caught up with pendants. These lovely earrings come from a damaged Victorian edition of Romeo and Juliet and come in a lovely themed gift box. I love a themed gift box, it makes the whole thing feel like An Experience. These are £14.

I'll call it a day there or I'll never stop, but have a lovely rootle around and don't forget Scribbelicious do bespoke commissions. NICE.

Thanks to @frizbot for the fabulous tip-off.

Sluttishly Savoury: Pickled Red Cabbage

I have come to the conclusion that pickling vegetables improves your life hugely. Particularly pickled red cabbage. This is no weird exaggeration. Let me explain. It's the humblest of vegetables - often sidelined to winter braising. That is until we introduce it to vinegar. It then transforms into something freaking insane: it turns BRIGHT purple, it looks like fireworks on a plate, but most importantly, this slutty 'lil accruement can be sleeping in its kilner jar for months and months ready to partner up with a whole range of tasty items. 

To name a few: pulled pork, kebabs, sausages, burgers, anything barbecued. It's goes great with smoked mackerel pate, oily fish and cured meats. You can throw it in coleslaw, have it in sandwiches, it's endless.

Also, it has magical healing properties. It prevents flu, it's a gastro-regulator which means whether you're blocked or loose (sorry) it'll sort you right out. It's good if you're anaemic, if you have respiratory problems but perhaps most importantly - it works miracles on a raging hangover.  

Convinced this stuff should be free on the NHS. Now go forth and pickle.   

Pickled Red Cabbage (makes a large kilner jar's worth)

Preparation Time: 30mins

Inactive Time: 3 hours

Cooking Time: 15mins

• 1 average sized red cabbage, quartered, woody stem removed and finely shredded
• 2 handfuls of table salt
• 1 litre white wine vinegar (cheap stuff)
• 300ml red wine (cheap stuff)
• 250g caster sugar 
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves

Make it!

1. Place the shredded cabbage in a large colander with a bowl underneath. Scatter the salt over and give it a mix with your hands to make sure all the cabbage is coated. Leave for a few hours. This draws the moisture out (which collects in the bowl beneath) and removes the bitterness. 
2. After 3 hours, wash the salt off and place in a massive bowl or your largest pan. 
3. Heat the vinegar and red wine in a large pan with the sugar, peppercorns and bay leaves. Once it's boiling, remove from the heat and strain off the spices. 
4. Pour the clear hot liquid all over the red cabbage to fully submerge it. Leave to cool completely.
5. When cool, transfer the cabbage and liquid to a sterilised jar and keep refrigerated. Ready to use the next day, and lasts for months and months.