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The Knowledge: Hallelujah hero
It's Friday – and our experts are here to tell you how to get the most out of your weekend. Pauline Cooper talks to them
Listen to it
So Real
Jeff Buckley, Columbia/ Legacy
ACCIDENTALLY drowned 12 years ago in the Wolf River in Memphis, Tennessee, Jeff Buckley is one of rock 'n' roll's ultimate tragic heroes.
Strikingly handsome and prodigiously talented, he was just 30 years old when he died, leaving behind a slender but striking body of work whose importance has grown with each passing year.
For the first time at Christmas he achieved a posthumous UK chart hit, when his masterful cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah reached No 2, behind X Factor winner Alexandra Burke's rendition of the same song.
Hallelujah's here in all its heart-rending glory alongside 13 other gems from Buckley's short career.
There's the Led Zeppelin-influenced Grace and Dream Brother, the silky late-night soul of Everybody Here Wants You and the vocal gymnastics of Lover, You Should Have Come Over, so reminiscent of his father Tim, who died of a drug overdose aged just 28.
There are also two bonuses for aficionados – a spirited acoustic rendition of So Real recorded in Japan and a suitably other-worldy live studio version of The Smiths' I Know It's Over. Essential listening then for Buckley fans new and old.
Get fit
There is plenty of 'eat this, eat that' around on TV, in magazines, on the radio. Information is in abundance about eating the perfect diet and consuming miracle foods.
But what do you do with this bombardment of information? It's virtually impossible to take it all in and stick to what everyone says.
My advice is simple. I have four simple guidelines that anyone can follow.
1. Don't diet and restrict yourself
2. Eat a healthy balanced diet of non-processed foods with the occasional treat.
3. Try to eat less calories than you do. But never less than 1800 per day.
4. Eat for health purposes, not for weight loss.
Basically, if it wasn't on this earth 1,000 years ago, don't eat it. Think nuts, seeds, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, good oils and your half way there. Good Luck.
A more simplified way to look at the above is eat less.
Oh! And don't forget to move more.
Recommended by personal trainer Richard Hill. Richardhill.org
Nest building
This cold, cold January doesn't seem to have an end in sight and with all the doom and gloom of the economy it's no wonder that well worn, comfortable interiors are everyone's favourite for winter.
Combine soft pastel colours with vintage style furniture and fabrics that make you feel good.
The best thing about well-worn interiors is that you can utilise any furniture that you already have.
When shopping look for rustic pieces like the Convex black clock from Barker and Stonehouse – www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk – (above) which would look super fitted against a plain white wall.
Complete the look with plenty of candles for a comfy, cosy room.
Recommended by Barker & Stonehouse, Leeds.
Read it
Sheconomics
Simonne Gnessen and Karen Pine, Headline Book Publishing 7.99
Do you need to get back in control of your cash? Do you want to understand your money emotions? Are you happy to talk about sex, make-up and shoes, but shy about your financial feelings?
With more and more women stepping up to take charge of their financial destiny, Sheconomics will help you master your money and understand the complex feelings that can stand in your way. Whether you want tips on taking emotional control of your finances, choosing monetary goals and planning how to achieve them, paying off loans, sorting out pensions, investing, spending or simply living within your means, this is the book for you.
Karen and Simonne have devised seven simple yet effective laws of 'sheconomics' to help you secure a financial future that doesn't depend on Prince Charming or a lottery ticket. With real-life stories, case-studies and experiences gathered from years of working in the world of money, Sheconomics is no-nonsense-easy-to-follow financial guide, written for women by women.Recommended by Waterstone's, Albion Street, Leeds.
Eat it
Sausages with Yorkshire pudding, horseradish mash, and onion gravy
INGREDIENTS
Eight beef sausages, best butcher's
For the Yorkshire pudding
1 tbsp dripping
100g plain flour
3 Eggs
200ml milk
For the horseradish mash
1 pinch salt and pepper
1kg potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 dash of milk
1 cube butter
5 tbsp creamed horseradish
For the onion gravy
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, peeled, halved and sliced
1 whole garlic clove, (optional), chopped
4 sage leaves, chopped
300ml sweet marsala, or Madeira wine
1 tsp Dijon mustard, or wholegrain mustard
1 pinch sea-salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7.
2. First make the Yorkshire pudding. Heat the lard in a large shallow, round roasting tray in the oven until very hot.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, eggs and milk to form a smooth, lump-free batter. Pour the batter into the hot roasting tray and roast until well-risen, around 20-30 minutes. Remove the Yorkshire pudding, keeping it in the tray, and set aside.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/gas 4.
5. Place the sausages in a greased oven tray and bake them for 30 minutes until cooked through, turning now and then so that they colour evenly. Half-way through the sausages' baking time, return the Yorkshire pudding to the oven and heat through for 15 minutes until hot and crisp.
6. Meanwhile, cook the cubed potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, add in the milk and butter and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Beat with a hand whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir through the creamed horseradish.
7. To make the onion gravy, gently heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the onions and begin to fry gently. After five minutes, add the chopped sage and garlic. On a gentle heat, add in the Marsala wine and turn up the heat so that everything begins to bubble.
8. Sniff the pan and see if alcohol smell has evaporated. If it has, turn the heat down. Stir the mustard into the pan and cook for a final five minutes.
9. To serve, turn out the crisped Yorkshire pudding from its tin. Place on a plate, fill with a generous serve of mash, stick several sausages into the mash pile and cover the bangers and mash with lashings of the onion gravy!
Recipe by David Massey from the UKTV Food website.
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Weather for Leeds
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
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