Dates, music, miles of style, and more

That's right folks, I've gone from barely blogging at all to blogging twice in two days. I've just got lots of things going on that I'd like to put down on (the hypothetical, internet equivalent of) paper. Luckily, most of the things going on in my life right now are incredibly happy things, so this is unlikely to turn into some sobtacular crankfest of a blog.

I'm determined to treat the Lady in as lovely a way as is humanly possible. So I've decided that, no matter how busy I am, I will make time every week in which to take her out to dinner, to see a film, or to a gallery, in addition to the time we see each other anyway. Dates are, in my humble opinion, a seriously important part of any relationship. Too many people meet, kiss and immediately decide "right we're a couple" without having taken the time to learn anything about the other person. And subsequently their relationship ends acrimoniously, because it never really began. Likewise, plenty of couples (once they have become couples) fall into a slump of "just not giving a shit any more" which leads to them never doing anything except them staying in at every opportunity. Dates are wonderful: they make both partners feel loved, secure, and wanted; they're fun, interesting, and never quite the same; and I bloody love them.

I've been listening to lots and lots of music recently, some old, some new. From the new lot, my emergent favourites are the Drums, Smith Westerns, and Avi Buffalo.

The Drums are the most instantly likeable of the lot, mixing catchy pop melodies, surftacular guitar lines, and introverted, often melancholy lyrics in a way we've not heard in quite some time. They'll be huge this summer, and if they play their cards right they'll be able to stay huge after their distinctly summery music stops being relevant. Smith Westerns are an entirely different kettle of fish. They've the lo-fi, muffled vocal sounds of the Velvet Underground, which they blend with a guitar sound that's clearly been influenced by Mick Ronson circa 1973. "Be My Girl", the standout cut on their first record, is everything that glam did right, but brought forward and madeover into a slightly grungier version of itself. Avi Buffalo are probably my favourite of the lot, though. Their eponymous debut is frankly outstanding, echoing Pavement, MGMT's album tracks back when they didn't suck, and the Shins, all while retaining a sound that's still entirely their own. My favourites from the album thus far are "Truth Sets In", a happy, sunshiney piece of indie brilliance, complete with ghostly guitar harmonics, acoustic strummy bits, and honey dripping group vocals, and "Remember Last Time", which shares the group vocal thing, but injects a heavy dose of sixties psychedelia. Perfect.

I'd like to take a moment of your time to talk about clothes, if I may. With the summer quickly approaching like a sweaty bullet, I've begun thinking about what I'm going to drape myself in this festival season. First off, I've decided to make an effort to wear shorts as much as I possibly can, and not to spend Reading with my legs wrapped in a pair black skinnies. Additionally, I'm not going to wear cardigans just for the sake of it. Should I need a cardigan, I will wear one, but this summer I shall not simply throw on a cardigan to cover my untanned arms. They're never going to get tanned that way, mister... I'm going to wear more shirts than I did last year, be they striped, checked, or otherwise. And last but not least I shall wear my sunglasses at every opportunity. I paid good money for them, it's stupid not to wear them, and then sit there squinting.

Finally, here's my vegan recipe for today: Mushroom Stroganoff. Mmm-mmm, tasty times o'clock, to quote the Lady.

Ingredients

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 onion, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

250g mushrooms (eg a mix of oyster, shiitake, portabellini), wiped clean and sliced if large

175ml Waitrose Vintage English Cider

2 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp Geo Watkins Mushroom Ketchup

150ml Alpro Organic Soya Yogurt

½ x 20g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the onion for 8-10 minutes until starting to soften.
2. Add the garlic and mushrooms, season and continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened.
3. Add the cider and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
4. Blend the cornflour with the mushroom ketchup until smooth. Remove the mushrooms from the heat then add the ketchup and yogurt, and stir to combine. Warm over a low heat until slightly thickened and piping hot.